


Now He Sees Me

by Ellie603



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Business Owner Patrick, Flirting, Fuck Sebastien Raine, Hurt/Comfort, Invisibility, M/M, Soulmates, past emotional abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23252965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellie603/pseuds/Ellie603
Summary: David Rose is done being used by his very ex-boyfriend (for lack of a better word) for what he can do, and some advice from his sister finds him driving out of the city to somewhere he can be alone and invisible. But his destination finds him wanting, more than ever, to really be seen.A tiny percentage of the world’s population can actually become invisible, and, according to legend (or online conspiracy theory), each of these people has a soulmate somewhere who can always see them.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Patrick Brewer/Rachel (past), Sebastien Raine/David Rose (past)
Comments: 149
Kudos: 480





	1. Hiding

**Author's Note:**

> This story is the product of a stray idea I had at work a couple weeks ago (back when we could still go to work) that rattled around in my head in a few different ways until I ended up with this - a loosely-conceived soulmate AU masquerading as a small town business AU (or the other way around). All of this is already written, so updates should be pretty regular.
> 
> I really hope you guys like it!
> 
> Enjoy!

_I did it. It’s over. Holy shit. Fuck._

David Rose’s internal monologue quickly devolved into a steady stream of curses as the pretentious apartment he’d left behind, along with its even more pretentious occupant, disappeared around the corner.

He’d had these thoughts before, walking away from the same person, only to end up back in his orbit over and over again. But this time felt more final, and David would be damned if he let himself go back there again. He was done with Sebastien. He was done doing things for him, and he was done getting absolutely fucking nothing in return.

He slipped into a deserted alleyway and finally let himself catch his breath. He could hear he and Sebastien’s last conversation echo in his head.

_“It’s over Sebastien. I’m serious. How many times have you cheated on me? Honestly fuck you.”_

_Sebastien had reached out for David’s cheek, but David flinched and pushed his hand away._

_“It’s an open relationship, babe,” Sebastien had replied with a grin that made David’s skin crawl. “Nothing wrong with that.”_

_“It’s not an ‘open relationship’ if only one person decides that it is. And that’s not even the important part of this. I’m not doing your dirty work anymore, Sebastien. That’s it.”_

_Something almost sinister had grown in Sebastien’s eyes. “Oh, I think you will. Who else do you have besides me? You need me, David. Just like I need you. We’re in this together.”_

_“We’ve never been in anything together,” David had said, hurt finally creeping into his voice. “And we never will be.”_

_Sebastien had finally broken David’s gaze to roll his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that, David. I think I’ll have a use for you in a few weeks, so I’ll see you then. You always come back.”_

_“Not anymore, Sebastien. Never again.”_

_David had slammed the door knowing that Sebastien would never follow him. Sebastien was right that David had always come back. But not this time._

Not this time.

David kept repeating it over and over as he leaned against the cool brick wall of the alley.

_Not this time._

Now that he was alone, David finally let himself go to the one place where Sebastien couldn’t get to him. Sebastien couldn’t hurt him if he couldn’t see him.

* * *

David Rose was invisible.

It was an odd statement to make about a man who went out of his way to stand out. His clothes and his hair were performances. His galleries were carefully curated to appeal to a certain class and to appear unobtainable to anyone else. To nearly everyone in David’s world, he was anything but unseen.

But David Rose was invisible.

Or, more accurately, David Rose _could_ be invisible. If he decided to be.

David had been about twelve when he found out by way of Alexis screaming in David’s room as they camped out during one of their parents’ parties.

“What the heck, David?” a young Alexis had yelled, confusion in her eyes as she looked all around the room for her brother. “This isn’t funny! Where are you?”

David had raised his eyebrows. “Um… I’m literally right here, Alexis.”

Alexis didn’t react to his voice. “Is this some kind of game, David? Literally where did you go?”

“This is a pretty dumb joke, Alexis.”

His sister was still looking all around at him, her eyes growing more and more fearful.

Maybe she _couldn’t_ see him.

David thought for a moment and wished he was visible again.

Alexis screamed.

“That wasn’t funny, David!” she complained walking over to hit him. “How did you do that?”

“I was literally standing right here the whole time, Alexis,” David said slowly. “You were just pretending… right?”

Alexis stared at him, wide-eyed, and shook her head. “You weren’t there a second ago. I swear.”

David sat back on his bed, confused.

“What’s the last thing you can remember before I couldn’t see you?”

David almost rolled his eyes but he humored her. “I guess I was thinking about how I wish we weren’t having this party because some of Mom’s friends kept trying to talk to me. And then I kind of wished I could disappear or whatever…”

“Oh, David! Try to wish for something else! Wish that you could fly or read minds or something!”

David actually did roll his eyes this time, but he thought for a moment and wished he could fly. He looked down at his feet, still planted firmly on the ground. Then he wished for something even crazier – that their parents would abandon the party and come tell he and Alexis goodnight.

No one came to the door.

David shook his head. “I don’t think wishing does anything.”

“Okay, well try to be invisible again.”

David sighed but did as Alexis asked.

She screamed again. “David, that’s so weird!”

David let himself reappear, startling Alexis.

“You have a superpower, David,” she said, awed.

David shook his head. “Superpowers aren’t real, Alexis,” he replied with as much smug authority as he could muster. But, of course, until two minutes ago, he hadn’t thought that anyone could actually be invisible, and here he was.

The pair tested David’s invisibility for the rest of the night, David slipping out into the edges of the party as Alexis watched from the top of the staircase. Not that she could see him. And no one else could either. David didn’t receive even the smallest glance from one of his parents’ party guests as he weaved through the crowd. No one could hear him, but he still took up space and could pick up things like the hors d'oeuvres he stole from the kitchen for himself and Alexis.

“This is so cool, David!” Alexis said biting into a mini crab cake with a wide grin across her face. “Think of all the things you could do if you were invisible! I have to tell-”

“Stop,” David interrupted. “You can’t tell anyone.”

“What? Why?” Alexis stared at him, confused.

“Think what our parents would do if they found out I could do this,” David explained. “They’d make me listen to things for them or find out gossip. They’d never leave me alone.”

Alexis was quiet for a moment. “You’re right,” she admitted. “It probably isn’t a good idea.”

“Promise you won’t tell anyone, Alexis. Please.” David never begged his sister for anything, but he was verging on it here.

Alexis nodded solemnly. “I promise, David.”

David also didn’t usually believe his sister, but there was something sincere in her eyes. This might actually be a secret she kept.

And she did.

Over the next few years Alexis would call on him sporadically for help, at first with simple things like sneaking into the kitchen or their father’s office for food or for news that wasn’t going to be shared with them. As she got older, Alexis’s requests were more to help sneak her out of the house or, increasingly more often, out of some sultan’s palace where she’d been trapped. David had infiltrated several different prison-like facilities by the time he was in his early twenties, which terrified him, though less than the prospect of Alexis not being okay.

But mostly David used his invisibility for himself, finding out what people thought about him or what his parents said when he wasn’t around. It made him paranoid; he knew that. Hearing anything that everyone said or didn’t say about him made him angry and scared, but he needed to know. All he wanted was for someone to actually like him, to care about him, to not throw him under the bus the second he disappeared. But everyone was fake, and he was fake too, and he couldn’t trust anyone anymore. Just Alexis, sort of, and she was overseas and impossible to get in touch with more often than not.

David looked into invisibility periodically, searching for answers, but most of the online results that weren’t about superhero powers or fairytales directed him to conspiracy theory websites and occasionally videos of people disappearing and reappearing that most people seemed to dismiss as faked.

His favorite theory was one he’d found in a forum when he was about twenty. A group of people who were invisible like him claimed to have eventually been seen by someone, their soulmate, if the commenters were to be believed. That was what David really wanted. Someone who could see him, who _wanted_ to see him. No one he knew had ever even tried.

New York helped. There were so many people that David couldn’t be invisible very often, and he ended up being so busy with his galleries that some weeks he didn’t even think about it. But sometimes he did, and it always hurt him in the end. It’s how he’d found out that his current girlfriend at the time was cheating on him with an ex-boyfriend, and, far worse, how he found out that his parents were funding everything in his galleries, including his patrons.

And then he met Sebastien.

Sebastien had cared. He’d told David how special he was, how wonderful, how beautiful. And David, alone, hurting, and tired, just so tired, had let him in. But Sebastien was smart. Too smart. He’d figured out David’s secret, and David had admitted it, almost glad to be able to share his secret with someone else after so long.

But that’s when Sebastien stopped being charming. He got David to do things for him with a compliment and a casually spoken threat of telling the world about what David could do, what David knew. It had lasted for months, David trying to leave and getting pulled back in by the only person in the country who knew who he really was, even if Sebastien didn’t care about him or respect him. He was all David had. As terrible a prospect as it was.

Until today. This was the end. No more Sebastien. David was free of him, and he wasn’t going back this time.

* * *

David came back into view and left the alley to go back to his apartment. Normally he would take an Uber, but today he needed the walk.

He pulled out his phone and clicked Alexis’s contact. He knew she probably wouldn’t pick up. Alexis had things to do and people to see and palaces to escape from, and he hadn’t heard from her in at least a month anyway.

But Alexis answered almost immediately.

“Hey David, what’s up?”

“Oh, um, do you have a minute?”

“Yeah, sure. We’re just waiting for Stavros to get back so we can go hang out on his yacht. Nothing major.”

As much as David didn’t like Stavros, hanging out on his yacht actually wasn’t very major at all for Alexis, and David was a bit relieved.

“So, I left Sebastien.” David stopped, letting the words hang there.

“For good this time?” Alexis asked tentatively.

“Yeah.”

“Oh thank God.” Relief was palpable in Alexis’s voice. “He’s such an asshole. I still can’t believe you told him about-”

“Yes, I know I made a mistake, Alexis,” David cut off his sister quickly. “I should never have trusted him.”

“You really shouldn’t have.” Alexis insisted, making David feel a bit worse than he already did. “So how are you going to stop yourself from going back there?”

David sighed. “I don’t know. He’ll find me if I don’t go back. That’s what he did last time.”

“So go somewhere unfindable,” Alexis suggested easily.

“Meaning what?”

Alexis made an exasperated noise as though David was being stupid. “Like close up the gallery for a while, pick a random direction, and just drive until you find somewhere no one’s ever heard of with a decent hotel and hang out there for a month.” She lowered her voice. “You can be invisible if you want, and no one will know. It’ll be a good break for you.”

David’s immediate reaction was to reject Alexis’s suggestion out of hand. He couldn’t just close his gallery and leave for a month to God-knows-where. People would notice if he just up and left New York. They might not really _care,_ but they would notice.

The thought wasn’t particularly comforting. Maybe it would be nice to have a break for a bit. Somewhere anonymous but less crowded than the city.

“David?”

“Sorry. Okay, um, maybe that’s not a bad idea.”

“Oh yay, David! Do it! Just like tell me where you end up.”

“Yeah, for the next time you need me to bail you out of somewhere, I know,” David replied dismissively, rolling his eyes.

Alexis didn’t reply for a moment, and when she finally did, her voice was quieter, smaller almost. “I mean, yeah that, but more so I could tell our parents and they wouldn’t worry. You know Dad tries to keep track of us as much as he can, and Mom was talking about shopping and getting brunch with you in New York next week.”

David raised his eyebrows incredulously. “She was?”

“Yeah, I’ve been hanging out at home for a sec while I wait for Stavros, and Mom seemed like she was looking forward to it.”

“Looking forward to shopping or to seeing me?”

“I don’t know, David,” Alexis replied, frustrated. “But you were part of it, okay? So just like let me know, so I can let _them_ know, and none of us will worry.”

For as much as David worried about Alexis, the idea that Alexis could actually worry about him seemed almost impossible. But David knew he wasn’t going to get anything by pressing her on it, so he decided to let it go.

“Okay, Alexis, I’ll tell you.”

“Good.” Alexis paused for a moment. “I’m glad you left him though. You deserve better than him.”

“Um, thanks Alexis.”

“Okay, Stavros is on his way back now, so I should go.”

He decided to table Stavros for now. Alexis had been much nicer to him than she usually was, and he didn’t want to ruin it. “Right. Bye, Alexis.”

“Bye, David.” The line disconnected immediately.

David sighed as he looked down at his phone. He would just have to make a couple calls and the gallery would be closed. Another call, and he would have a car that he could take anywhere, off into the middle of nowhere. He could be invisible, and he could be away from Sebastien.

That settled it.

Two hours later, the gallery had been closed indefinitely, David had packed several large suitcases filled with clothes and skin care products, which his doorman had piled into the trunk of the car David had ordered, and he was on the road. He didn’t know where he was going, but his phone was fully charged, and he wasn’t going to get lost.

And if he did get lost, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world either.

As the sun sank low in the sky, David found himself driving through a small, though not tiny, town. There was a cute downtown area with little shops and a bakery, and outside the town center were rustic, but charming old houses backing into the woods. It seemed small enough that no one would really know about it, but large enough that he could slide under the radar and not become some curiosity from the big city. The hotel downtown looked nice, or as nice as a town like this could supply, so David pulled up in front and glanced around as he got out of his car.

Across the street, a man in a blue button-down shirt and cheap-looking jeans flashed him a smile as he left one of the downtown shops. David could only nod back, feeling more than a little uncomfortable in this town where people apparently smiled at strangers as a matter of rule.

As the man walked away up the street, David took a second look at the shop he’d exited. The sign in the window advertised locally sourced products, and the window display seemed decent, though he felt like critiquing the color palette even from across the street. “Oak Valley General Store” was emblazoned over the door in old-fashioned wooden letters.

So that’s where he was, Oak Valley. Generic. Anonymous. Perfect.

Oak Valley was apparently not a very popular destination, at least at this time of year, because David was very easily able to get a room indefinitely.

He sent a quick text to Alexis when he got inside because he’d promised he would, and then he sat back on the bed with a sigh.

It wasn’t the best hotel room he’d ever been in, but it was clean and decent-sized and looked out over Main Street and the little general store. He could camp out here for a while. Visible or invisible, no one knew who he was here.

David knew he didn’t want to be alone. He wanted someone, something, _anything_ that was real, that couldn’t be disproved the second he disappeared. But for now, it was better to be alone. He was safe. He was okay.


	2. Looking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the sweet comments on the first part of this - I'm really glad you're liking the idea so far!
> 
> This bit was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you guys like it :)
> 
> Enjoy!

David let himself sleep in late the next morning, followed by a very lengthy shower. His phone was filled with texts about parties and plans and would he be coming to this or that bar tonight, presumably to buy drinks. David ignored all of it except a couple emails about the gallery which he responded to quickly. There was mercifully nothing from Sebastian. David had blocked his number almost as soon as he’d left the other man’s apartment, but Sebastian always had ways of getting to him.

It was almost noon when David realized he was starving, so he finally emerged from his hotel room out onto Main Street in search of food. A block or so up the street was a small café where he ordered a sandwich that ended up being pretty good, despite the fact that this was some tiny place in the middle of nowhere.

The waitress who brought his food, Leah apparently from her name tag, seemed to understand his desire not to speak to anyone and just checked in periodically rather than trying to engage him in conversation. A few café patrons did look at him twice, clearly a new person invading their space, but they didn’t pay him too much attention either. This town was apparently exactly the right combination of not a lot of people and people who minded their own business that David had been looking for.

After lunch, David wandered down Main Street for a while, taking notice of a bookstore, a candy shop, a few restaurants, and a small park at the end of the road. Eventually, his wandering led him back across the street from the hotel, the “Oak Valley General Store” sign he’d seen the night before hanging over him.

Now that he was closer, David could see that the locally sourced sign in the window was paired with a selection of hand cream and hair products. Interested, David decided to venture inside.

He glanced around for a moment, but the shop appeared to be empty, so he turned his attention to the window display and eventually to the rest of the shop. It was cute. The color palette was, as he had anticipated the previous night, a lot more pinks and purples than the space really needed, but the displays were done well, mostly, and the local section included the exact sorts of products that city dweller always used to romanticize the country.

“Anything I can help you with?”

David jumped at the voice coming from the corner of the room.

He hadn’t noticed the desk at the back, half hidden by a shelf selling hand towels, doormats, and blankets. He also hadn’t noticed the person sitting at the desk, the same man who had smiled at him from across the road the day before, his shirt a slightly darker shade of blue today.

“I didn’t think anyone was in here,” David said, not answering the man’s question.

The blue button-down man smirked at him. “I’d be a pretty bad store owner if I left this place unattended.”

David’s eyebrows raised. “This is _your_ store?” The man looked like an accountant or someone who should be doing undefined business things in a nondescript office. And judging by his love of blues, the pink and purple palette was entirely off brand.

The man narrowed his eyes. “Does that surprise you?”

David shrugged. “This just doesn’t seem like you.”

The other man came out from behind his desk to lean against the counter, staring at David, amusement and curiosity behind his eyes. “Now how would you know what seems like me? We’ve never met before.”

“It’s just more, um, colorful than I think you would have chosen.” David was getting uncomfortable.

A smile appeared on the other man’s face, almost a smirk again. “Am I not ‘colorful’ then?”

“You wear a lot of blue,” David replied honestly.

The smile on the other man’s face grew wider as he looked down as his outfit. “I do like blue.”

“So why no blue in the store?” David was grateful to finally get to turn the questions on this very determined man that he had unwittingly engaged with.

Something fell over the other man’s features for a moment, though the teasing smile remained at the corners of his mouth. “I wasn’t involved in choosing the décor,” he said briefly. Something in his words let David know he didn’t want to talk about it.

“So, is there anything I can help you with?” The man had retreated back to his computer desk, and David was both relieved and a little sorry that he’d made him leave. If he hadn’t been so obviously straight, David would have thought for a second there that the smirking man whose entire wardrobe (David assumed) was made up of blue button-down shirts was flirting with him. David, for his part, would not have been opposed. But he’d already somehow offended the button-down man who wasn’t interested in him anyway, so it didn’t really matter.

David shook his head quickly. “Just looking.”

David continued to wander the store, examining labels and unconsciously straightening up displays that weren’t quite right.

“Are you going to restack all the soaps?”

The blue button-down man had emerged from his computer desk again and was back staring at David, closer this time.

David shrugged, relieved and a bit grateful that the other man was talking to him again. He wasn’t here to make friends, but he’d be happy not to make anyone here dislike him immediately.

“You have these grouped by color, but they really should be organized by scent,” David explained. “And half of these are for hands and the other half are body soaps, and it’s just not correct for them to be together.”

The little smirk was back. “Not correct?”

David shook his head. “Not correct.”

“Well I’ll have to remember that.” The other man started to move away to the back of the store, but David found himself wanting to continue their conversation. David was starting to like that teasing smirk and how determined the other man seemed to mess with him.

“How much of this is local?” David asked, a little more eager than he would normally have been.

The other man turned back around, the smile on his face now less teasing and more genuine. “A lot of it, actually,” he said, a note of pride in his voice. “All the bath products and most of the blankets and things.”

“I passed some farms on my way in,” David commented, remembering a couple small wagons selling fruits and vegetables from the day before. “Do you get any food or anything from them?”

The other man shook his head, looking a little sad again. “I’d talked about it, but R- I mean we just never got around to figuring that out.”

David knew he should probably let it go, but he couldn’t help but pry a little bit. “We?”

The other man sighed, but he didn’t look upset that David had asked. He leaned back against the counter again. “You’re right that this isn’t really my style… or whatever. I opened this store a couple years ago with my fiancée, well _ex_ -fiancée now.”

“Oh.” David immediately regretted his question. “I’m sorry.”

The other man waved it away. “No, it’s okay. We’d been on and off for years, and it never actually worked. The ‘ex’ thing should have happened a long time before it actually did.”

“So you got the store?”

The other man shrugged. “Kind of. We broke up a couple months ago, and she said she wanted to get out of town, clear her head or whatever, so she’s living with friends in the city and working somewhere there, and I said I’d keep the store going. She might want it back, and I’m just the business side of things, so I could leave and find somewhere else to work. Lots of people need business managers.”

“Well I’m sure you’re pretty good at that if you’ve kept this place running for a couple years,” David found himself saying immediately. “And honestly I’m not the biggest fan of the color scheme in here, so I think you are clearly responsible for the better part of this business.”

David wasn’t sure why he was trying to reassure this man he’d just met, whose name he didn’t even know, in a town he hadn’t known existed until yesterday, but the actual genuine smile that the man flashed at David at his words made David smile himself.

“That’s nice of you to say,” the man said softly, his kind smile spreading to his eyes.

“Breakups are rough, especially when you keep getting back together,” David added, his mind back in New York. “I just broke up with my… whatever horrible thing Sebastian was, _yesterday,_ and that was a train wreck of a relationship, so.”

“Yesterday? Shit, I’m sorry.” The other man was so apologetic, but David shrugged it off.

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have trusted him.” David felt the urge to say more, to spill all his secrets to this man with kind eyes who had been so honest about his breakup, but self-preservation kicked in, and David stopped himself.

“I don’t think you should blame yourself for trusting someone,” the other man said thoughtfully, not breaking David’s gaze. “If someone broke your trust it’s their fault, not yours. You can’t beat yourself up over someone hurting you. No matter what happened, you didn’t deserve that.”

The other man’s eyes grew deeper and more intense as he stared at David, like he really wanted him to know that he believed what he said.

Eventually he broke David’s gaze, and David took a quick breath, blinking.

“Um, thanks,” David managed. “That was profound,” he paused, realizing something, “Uh, I don’t know your name.”

“Patrick,” the other man supplied, his smile soft again. “Patrick Brewer.”

“David Rose,” David replied, extending his hand which Patrick took immediately.

“David,” Patrick repeated as thought testing it out. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” David replied, surprised by how much he meant it. He’d known this man maybe fifteen minutes, but that was already one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to him.

“So you don’t like the color scheme?” Patrick put the emotional part of their conversation aside in favor of teasing David again.

“It’s too bright – it clashes with a lot of the colors in the products,” David elaborated, rising above the teasing, picking up a couple colorful knit scarves from the bin next to him. “See, the colors would pop more if the palette was more neutral.”

Patrick nodded. “That makes sense.”

Then David crossed the store to a wall where a few framed prints adored the walls. “And these frames? You have such an interesting old-fashioned aesthetic with the storefront, but these are horribly out of place.”

Patrick dropped his gaze, an amused smiled playing at his lips.

“What?”

Patrick looked back up at him almost apologetically. “I actually picked out those frames.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I think maybe you shouldn’t be in charge of design choices then,” David said, noting that Patrick still looked amused.

“Oh, ideally I would not be at all.”

David looked around the store appraisingly. “I think you really have something here, Patrick. You just need some help. You need a lot of help.” He offered a small teasing smile to the other man, which he returned immediately.

“Are you offering?”

The question took David by surprise. He hadn’t been offering. He’d mostly been trying to joke with Patrick in return for how nice he’d been about Sebastian, but the idea wasn’t entirely unappealing.

“I don’t know how long you’re in town, but if you’re here for a bit, I could use the advice at least.” Patrick shrugged, trying to play his offer off casually, but there was something earnest in his expression like he really did want David to help him.

“I guess I really don’t have anything else going on at the moment,” David replied slowly.

Patrick’s face broke into a grin. “Well that’s a ringing endorsement if I ever heard one.”

David let himself laugh a little at that. “I’m sorry, Patrick. I would _love_ to be of assistance in your time of need. Is that better?”

Patrick grinned wider somehow. “That _is_ better, thank you David.”

David rolled his eyes, but he let the smile remain on his face.

A bell rang over the door, announcing the arrival of customers, a couple of women chatting together who Patrick left to talk to with a wink at David.

David was left to himself, thinking through little changes he could make that would brighten things up or make the store flow more organically.

Mostly, he thought about Patrick and his little wink as he walked away. That felt a lot like flirting, but Patrick had _just_ told David about his ex-fiancée. The possibility that Patrick wasn’t straight was decreasing by the minute. He was probably just being nice. That’s what small town people were supposed to do, right?

But regardless, it had been a long time since David had gotten to joke like that with someone, like they were friends and the other person didn’t want something from him. Patrick had asked for his help, but it hadn’t been as any kind of repayment. David, for the first time in a long time, felt valued for who he was as a person and not for his name or his family. He was pretty sure Patrick hadn’t made any connection between him and the Rose name, and David was happy to leave it that way. Patrick apparently thought David could help him, and David found himself wanting to show that he could.

“Hey David?” Patrick called unexpectedly from the front of the store.

David turned around, surprised to see that Patrick had called for him when he was still helping his customers. “Yeah?”

“Could you tell us a bit about the differences between our moisturizers? I think you have a better handle on it than I do.”

David blinked at Patrick for a moment. He’d only looked at the general store lotions for a few minutes, so Patrick clearly had the upper hand here. But, then again, David’s nine-step skincare regiment was second to none, especially compared to Patrick who David would bet likely used some generic brand lotion if he moisturized at all, so David probably _did_ have something of value to add.

“Well, who are you buying for, and what do they need in a moisturizer?”

David found himself slipping easily into conversation with the two women who were looking for a gift for their niece. The women had a lot of wildly incorrect ideas about scents that David was able to steer them away from, while Patrick helpfully provided vendor and ingredient information. The pair eventually left with an array of products, plus a scarf, and a promise to come back sometime and maybe bring their niece.

As the door shut behind them, Patrick turned to David, a smile on his face and something almost like awe behind his eyes.

“You’re really good at this,” he said almost reverently.

David ducked his head. “I guess that did go well.”

Patrick laughed. “I’ll say. You got them to buy half our products, David! That was great. I don’t know what I’ve been doing without you.”

David beamed at the compliment even if he couldn’t quite meet Patrick eyes.

“So if you’re going to be working here-”

“Helping out,” David corrected quickly. Working at the store implied that he’d run away to some little town and immediately gotten a retail job, which was _not_ the look he was going for here.

Patrick gave him a weird look but accepted it. “Okay, well, if you’re going to be _helping out_ , then I should give you the grand tour.”

Patrick’s grand tour consisted of a rundown of the main floor and a trip back to the stockroom that David almost immediately began reorganizing, Patrick moving boxes without complaint and only minimal teasing about how David was also capable of moving things. David had replied with some lofty statement about art and creativity that he knew was bullshit, but it made Patrick laugh, and that was the important thing.

They helped a couple more customers, Patrick doing most of the work, but David offering some advice that always seemed to cement a purchase or add on an extra item or two.

“People seem to really trust you on this stuff,” Patrick said as their last customer for the day left, and he flipped the sign around to close the store.

“Well I’m sure they can sense my New York, high-art background.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows at the offhand comment about where David had come from before suddenly appearing across from the general store, but Patrick didn’t ask any follow up questions.

Instead, he showed David all the things he had to do for closing: spot cleaning, counting money, lots of filling out spreadsheets.

David had known that there were a lot of these business-y things involved in his gallery, but he’d always let the family accountants deal with all of that.

David might have been good at aesthetics and up-selling things, but he was lost looking at all of Patrick’s numbers. He found himself feeling even more respect for everything Patrick had put into this business. And Patrick hadn’t had his parents buying all his patrons to make sure his store sold out.

“So.” Patrick finally separated himself from his computer and turned around. “I was going to grab dinner down the street. Would you like to come? I can show you around a bit.”

David faltered for a second. He had come here to be alone and invisible, not to immediately make a friend or whatever Patrick was and then spend all afternoon talking to him before getting dinner together. David should have been back up in his room taking a long bath or reading a book or watching trashy television. He glanced down at his phone out of habit. Unread messages were piling up; David had barely even glanced at his phone during the last couple hours at the store.

He looked back up at Patrick, who was staring at him expectantly, the inviting smile on his face receding slightly as David hesitated.

David didn’t like that. Before he really registered his response, David was nodding. “Yeah, sure. That sounds good.”

Patrick’s smile returned in full force, and he made an “after you” gesture at David towards the door.

Out on the sidewalk it was evening again, the sunset illuminating the town as it had when David arrived the night before. Much of the street was lined with cars, and groups and couples were walking around as little shops closed up and restaurants prepared for the dinner rush.

“We’ll head this way,” Patrick gestured up the street, and the pair fell easily into step.

Patrick pointed out some of the different stores David had noticed earlier, only with more detail, and he confirmed to David that the café where he’d eaten lunch made the best sandwiches in town.

Eventually, they ended up at a little Italian place that wasn’t too crowded or too tacky. David gave his approval of the décor to Patrick which made him laugh again. The server knew Patrick, a friend of a cousin or something, David wasn’t sure, but she didn’t stick around to talk after Patrick introduced David and she took their orders.

The pair chatted aimlessly for a while, talking about the store and the restaurant and different color palettes.

Eventually a semi-comfortable silence settled between them.

“So, David,” Patrick said finally. “I have to ask. What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?”

David rolled his eyes as Patrick grinned through his cliché.

“I’m assuming it has something to do with that guy you broke up with?” Patrick was more sincere now, the teasing gleam gone from his eyes replaced by genuine concern.

David had to look away from Patrick’s kindness and from the prospect of talking about Sebastian. “Yeah,” he said simply. “I needed to get out of the city.”

“New York, I’m assuming?”

David nodded and looked back at Patrick, feeling a little more in control. “I’m a gallerist.”

Patrick nodded himself. “Yeah, you said art. Makes sense.”

“Yep.” David let the word hang there, not wanting to go into more detail.

“So you ended up here by chance?”

David shrugged. “My sister suggested I just start driving and find somewhere to hide out for a while. This place seemed adequate.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows. “Oh, it’s _adequate_?”

David looked around as though he was trying to think. “A few decent restaurants, a moderately clean hotel, and nearlyeveryone in town minds their own business,” he ticked off on his fingers, throwing a significant look at Patrick at the last item on his list.

“Nearly everyone?” Patrick’s eyes were sparkling.

David refused to let himself smile as he leaned into the teasing. “Nearly everyone,” he confirmed. “There’s this one guy who keeps asking me questions.”

“Oh really? I’m sure he’s just a really nice, cool guy who wants to make sure you’re having a good time on your indefinite visit to the town he’s lived in his entire life.”

David rolled his eyes. “I guess that’s _one_ way of describing him.”

Patrick grinned at him again.

“You’ve lived here your whole life?” David found himself asking. He couldn’t imagine living in a place like this for longer than a couple weeks.

Patrick nodded immediately. “Yep. Home sweet home.”

“Would you ever leave?” David wasn’t sure why he asked that.

His question made Patrick pause. “I’d like to stay here if I can,” he answered slowly, clearly thinking, “but I would go if Rachel came back and wanted the store, I think. I offered to leave when we broke up, but she said she wanted to. I don’t think it would be right if we both were here. Distance is better for us.”

David thought of Sebastian. “Yeah, I get that.”

Patrick offered him a sad smile. “I thought you might.”

Luckily their food arrived, so the two men didn’t have to sit with their sad shared relationship history stretching between them.

David was pleasantly surprised by the food. It wasn’t the best pasta he’d ever had, but for a random little restaurant that he and Patrick hadn’t needed reservations for in a random little town that could not have had a more generic name, it was excellent.

Patrick seemed to know David liked it without him even saying anything. Patrick didn’t say anything either, but there was a smug grin on his face that David already knew. Patrick had an array of different smiles, and even though it had only been a few hours, David was already getting decent at telling them apart.

Their conversation moved to lighter things as they ate, breakfast recommendations from Patrick, David’s assessment of the hotel which Patrick had never had occasion to stay at, what it was like for Patrick growing up in a small town (prompted by a friend of Patrick’s mother stopping by their table to say hello and then ask Patrick increasingly personal questions about the store and Rachel until she and her husband left the restaurant).

“It really _is_ nice living in a community where everyone knows you,” Patrick insisted. “But, at the same time, everybody knows your business. I mean Oak Valley isn’t tiny, so it’s not like I know _everyone,_ even if I include all my parents’ friends, but the Rachel stuff has made some things weird.”

David nodded but then sighed. “I can’t imagine living in a place where everyone knows my whole life like that. That’s one of my favorite things about New York – I can just slip by without anyone noticing me if I want.”

Patrick laughed and shook his head. “I can’t imagine _not_ noticing you, David Rose.”

There was something sincere in Patrick’s voice underneath his teasing that made David hold back his retort. David had a momentary feeling that he wouldn’t exactly _mind_ being noticed… if it was Patrick looking for him.

“Yeah, well…” David trailed off leaving them both in silence as their waitress came over to take their plates.

Patrick insisted on paying, saying that David was a guest and that Patrick’s mother would kill him if she knew he hadn’t been a proper host.

David laughed but he was touched. Even when Sebastian was trying to get something out of David, he never offered to pay.

Patrick was kind. He was far too cocky for someone who had never left his small town and far too quick to tease David for someone he’d only known for a few hours, but Patrick was unquestionably the kindest person David had ever met.

The pair walked back down the street on the opposite side this time, Patrick offering up stories about shops that used to be on the block when he was a kid and about how the corner grocery store had somehow been in business since before he was born, which he attributed to the immortality of the owner. Eventually they ended up in front of David’s hotel.

It felt more like the end of a date than anything else, somehow.

“It was really nice to meet you today, David,” Patrick said with a small smile.

“Well, I’m sure the soaps will thank me for rearranging them,” David replied, glancing across the street at the store.

“And it was nice meeting you too, Patrick,” Patrick supplied pointedly.

David just laughed. “If you say so.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Patrick seemed more unsure than he’d been all day, but David nodded quickly.

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow. But not before 10. And, honestly, probably not before lunch.”

Patrick laughed, his eyes lighting up at David’s confirmation that he would come to the store tomorrow. “That doesn’t surprise me. But I’ll look forward to it.”

David smiled almost shyly. “Goodnight, Patrick.”

Patrick smiled back. “Goodnight, David.”

Patrick looked around for traffic before crossing Main Street, leaving David behind.

“Are you going back to work?” David called across the road, confused.

Patrick laughed again. “My apartment’s upstairs,” he called back, gesturing to the windows above the storefront.

David glanced up. “Huh.”

Patrick shook his head with a grin. “ _Goodnight_ , David,” he said pointedly as he unlocked the door next to the shop and disappeared behind it with a wave.

“Goodnight.” David spoke softly, knowing Patrick couldn’t hear him anymore.

David walked up the single flight of stairs to his room and turned on some music just for ambient noise. He could see a light on in the window directly across the street, the apartment above the general store, _Patrick’s_ apartment. Shadows moved behind the curtains, but he couldn’t make out anything definite. Still, it was almost comforting knowing that Patrick was over there. David had made a friend today. A friend who wanted to spend time with him tomorrow.

 _He’s only being nice because you’re going to help out at the store,_ his brain unhelpfully supplied. _That’s why he bought you dinner and why he was excited when you said you were coming in tomorrow._

David shook himself from his thoughts. Even if Patrick just wanted to be friends because of what David could do for the store, that was certainly better than all the things his New York friends wanted from him, not even mentioning Sebastian.

The thought of New York reminded David of his phone filled with unread messages from New York. Most were queries about his whereabouts for the evening. A few were about the gallery. Two were thinly veiled messages from Sebastian using mutual friends as bait to reel David back in.

One was actually a reply from Alexis thanking him for letting her know where he was.

David ignored them all and settled down to flip through TV channels instead.

Out the window, Patrick’s light stayed on across the street. Invisible, unnoticed, David watched the light until it went out. Then it was time for him to sleep.


	3. Living

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the all the sweet comments on the last chapter of this - you all are the best!
> 
> I split everything I had for this chapter into two parts because it ended up making more sense that way, so this whole thing's six chapters now instead of five.
> 
> This one's just a lot of friendship and flirting and stuff (to make everyone feel better about last night's episode). I really hope you guys like it!
> 
> Enjoy!

The next week passed quickly, and David settled into a routine far more regular than anything he had ever experienced in New York.

He got breakfast or lunch somewhere on Main Street, more often than not the café he’d gone his first day. He found himself actually engaging in casual conversations with Leah the café waitress who was nice but not overbearing, and he didn’t even mind the small talk from some of the regulars eating at the counter. Those conversations mercifully didn’t last longer than a minute or two, but they still happened, and David almost enjoyed them sometimes. After he ate, he would head over to the general store to help Patrick, who always greeted him with a smile even if he also started teasing him immediately.

On his third day in town, David had gone to the café early for a sandwich, but right before he left, he decided to get one for Patrick too, remembering him raving about their tuna melts on David’s first night in town.

Patrick stared at him when David tried to hand him the sandwich by his desk in the back of the store.

“Your peanut butter sandwich yesterday made me sad,” David made an excuse, deliberately looking anywhere but at Patrick.

“This was really nice of you, David. Thank you.” Patrick’s words were soft but somehow filled with more meaning than anything he’d ever said to David.

David shrugged and went to rearrange the scarves that some morning customer must have dug through, but he couldn’t stop a small smile from appearing on his face. He didn’t think anyone had ever called him nice before.

David spent each afternoon with Patrick, sometimes watching the store while Patrick ran errands, always with an abundance of gratitude from Patrick, since he would have had to shut down the store if David hadn’t been there.

“I really could have just stolen everything in the register,” David commented the first time Patrick had come back from a last-minute vender run. “You’ve really put a lot of faith in me, a person who could literally be a serial killer for all you know.”

Patrick just laughed. “I considered that, but you really don’t seem like the serial killer type. No offense, David.”

“Thank you?”

Patrick laughed again. “No, I mean you seem trustworthy. I trust you.”

David started at that. He wasn’t trustworthy. He made plans and broke them just as quickly in pursuit of fun or acceptance or a good time. Alexis told him things sometimes, but never more than he would need to get her rescued from whatever palace she was trapped in. His parents didn’t trust him at all, it seemed. He’d barely spoken to them since he found out about the galleries.

And David had told himself over and over not to trust people. After Sebastian he had vowed to never trust anyone again.

But he couldn’t deny how much he wished he could say those words back to Patrick. _I trust you too. Thank you for trusting me, for believing in me, for wanting me around._

But he just settled for “okay” and a small smile.

Patrick seemed to understand. Patrick always understood.

This was the oddest thing about his new friendship with Patrick. For years, decades really, David had been constantly worried, paranoid that people wouldn’t like him, that when people said they _did_ like him they didn’t actually mean it. And because he could be invisible, he could test it, and it had never ended well.

But with Patrick… David didn’t need to. He didn’t quite trust Patrick, not yet, not exactly.But it wasn’t because of anything potentially malicious on Patrick’s part. The prospect that Patrick could get sick of him or bored or want his store back to himself was very real in David’s mind, but Patrick saying easily that he trusted David… David _did_ trust that. Patrick Brewer might not want to be around him forever, but he had never lied to David. For now at least, Patrick genuinely appreciatedhis help and was happy to have him at the store.

Patrick was genuine in everything he did, so David didn’t need to be invisible, he didn’t need to eavesdrop. He also knew that if he did happen to overhear Patrick say something unkind about him, it would hurt David so much that he didn’t think he could take it. Dismissive, hateful comments from New York people he already didn’t care much about had made him defensive and anxious, but _Patrick_ saying something like that would be so much worse. David didn’t want to tempt fate. All he could do was hold onto Patrick’s friendship as long as it lasted.

Most days, the pair grabbed dinner together somewhere, sometimes takeout, sometimes a quick trip to a restaurant. The only time David ate alone was when Patrick was called home for dinner with his parents who apparently lived in one of those old houses by the woods that David had seen on his drive in. Somewhere in those woods was a creek that Patrick had seemingly innumerable stories about, but David was content not to visit.

The store was closed Mondays, leaving David unsure of what he was supposed to do, but Patrick was waiting for him in the hotel lobby when he came down that first Monday morning. Patrick had exchanged his usual button-down for a t-shirt. David found himself more distracted than he should have been by the sight of Patrick’s bare arms for the first time, but he covered for it by making fun of Patrick for still wearing blue, even on his day off.

“Gotta be consistent,” Patrick said with a wink. “Come on, David.”

David blinked after him stupidly for a moment before following his friend.

Patrick insisted on showing David around the area in his very old and, David was convinced, bordering on unsafe car. Patrick happily pointed out important landmarks and eventually drove them up a hill to the town overlook, prompting David to ask about whether or not it was a teenage make out spot. Patrick blushed slightly and then declined to comment.

Eventually they ended up at a generic grocery store, David following along behind Patrick, a little disgusted and a little curious. He had rarely had occasion to grocery shop for himself, and he’d certainly never been to a store like this one. He expected Patrick to jump on him for how out of touch he was, but Patrick didn’t say anything about it. There was a little smirk on Patrick’s face as he watched David, but that was all, and David was grateful.

As Patrick went to pick out vegetables from a sad-looking display, David suggested tentatively that they stop by a farm stand on their way back to the apartment instead.

Patrick had beamed at the idea, and soon they were buying vegetables and fruit at the closest farm stand to town while David talked to the woman who ran the stand about supplying produce to sell at the general store.

They left with fresh asparagus, cauliflower, and strawberries and, more importantly, a promise from the stand to be in touch about the store.

Patrick had that little awed look on his face again as they drove into town, David sitting in the passenger seat trying not to look too proud of himself.

Patrick invited him up for dinner as soon as they got back, which held the advantage of David getting to see Patrick’s apartment but the disadvantage of David being enlisted to help Patrick cook.

The apartment was nice in a quaint sort of way. Good hardwood floors and crown molding, with the creaky boards and doors that don’t quite shut right that come with an old building. All the walls were painted white or a light gray, though Patrick’s bedroom that David peaked into quickly on his way to the bathroom was faintly light blue. Of course.

Cooking was successful, credit entirely due to Patrick who kept pasta from boiling over and gave David quick lessons on chopping garlic and parsley. Patrick’s hand brushed over David’s shoulders just slightly when he filled David’s wine glass, and David shivered involuntarily. Something about tonight felt different than the rest of the time he and Patrick been together over the past week.

David had spent the entire day with Patrick, but they still found things to talk about during dinner – childhood stories, ideas for the store; David even talked a little about New York which he almost never did. Just the good parts, the things he missed. Though, if he was being honest, he’d had more fun in the last week than he had in years in New York. Not that he would ever tell Patrick that.

“This apartment feels like you, you know?” David commented after the dishes were done and he and Patrick were sitting in the living room, David on the sofa and Patrick in an armchair next to it.

“You mean this is what you would have expected my store to look like when you came in last week?” Patrick asked with that familiar teasing glint in his eyes.

“Honestly, yes.”

Patrick smiled, but his eyes grew distant for a moment. “That makes sense. The store was Rachel’s more than mine when we first opened. I mean I dealt with vendors and got us grant money and all that, but I was working up here while Rachel was downstairs. She picked out the paint for the store, and I got to repaint the bedroom.”

“Hence the blue,” David said, teasing himself.

Patrick laughed outright at that. “Of _course_ , blue.”

When Patrick spoke again, he was more pensive. “I used to think about her anytime I went into the store. It was so much of _her_ that it just reminded me of all the mistakes I made and all the things I should have done differently.” Patrick paused for a moment. “Did you ever feel like that with your ex?” he asked suddenly.

David started. They hadn’t spoken about Sebastian since that first day.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up. It’s not my place,” Patrick retreated immediately.

David shook his head. “No, it’s okay. Um…” David thought about what Patrick had said about everything reminding him of Rachel. “Not really, actually. Sebastian… he and I weren’t together as long as you and Rachel, for one thing, and anything we ever did together… well let’s say it’s nothing I was ever proud of.”

“He’s an asshole,” Patrick broke in.

The suddenness of Patrick’s statement made David laugh.

“No, I’m serious.”

“Yeah, Patrick,” David stopped laughing to acknowledge him. “I know. You’re right. He really is.”

“Don’t get back with him when you leave here, David.” Patrick’s words were soft, sincere.

When he left.

David hadn’t thought about leaving Oak Valley for most of the week he’d been there, certainly he hadn’t thought about it that day as David pushed the cart for Patrick while they got groceries and talked up the general store to a woman who grew really wonderful asparagus. He definitely didn’t want to go back to Sebastian.

A stray thought entered David’s head. _I want to stay here. With Patrick_.

The idea was so absurd that David shut it down immediately, his thoughts returning to Patrick’s request about Sebastian.

“I won’t go back to him,” David said, and he found this was the most he’d ever believed it. He thought he was resolute in wanting to leave Sebastian when he told him to fuck off and left his apartment just a week ago, but now that he had something to compare it to, he was never going back to that. He and Patrick weren’t even together, and this was already the best relationship David had ever had.

And that was why David didn’t lean in and kiss Patrick when he finally left after a bowl of the ice cream that David had insisted they buy at the store.

Patrick clearly liked spending time with him, and maybe Patrick liked him more than that too, but David couldn’t be sure. Patrick had only ever talked about Rachel, and those blue button-downs and straight legged jeans weren’t points in favor of him being into David.

But the most important thing was that David had never had a friend like Patrick before, and he didn’t want to mess it up. If he didn’t ruin what they had, he could go back to New York in a few weeks and have a friend to help him stay away from Sebastian and work through his first exhibition that wasn’t going to be propped up by his parents’ money. That would be worth more than trying to make out with the first person who had paid any attention to him for who he was and not what he had access to.

So David let the moment go when Patrick walked him to the door and they stood together on the sidewalk for a moment. Under the streetlights, David thought he saw the smallest look of disappointment pass over Patrick’s features as David turned away to the hotel, looking out for non-existent cars as he called a thank you and see you tomorrow back to his friend.

David knew it was for the best, but he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed himself.

He found himself watching for Patrick across the street out the hotel window, not for the first time, only now he knew what lay behind the curtains. The shadows passing behind the window on the right were caused by Patrick in the kitchen tidying up and that the light on to the left that usually flicked off early signifying Patrick going to bed was Patrick’s living room.

That night Patrick’s living room light stayed on later than it ever had.

The idea he'd had in Patrick's living room floated back into David’s head as he lay in bed watching Patrick’s light as he fell asleep. _I could stay in Oak Valley… if Patrick wanted me to._

David made himself forget about it the next morning.

But he still came in to the store earlier than usual, bringing Patrick tea and an offer to grab lunch, whatever Patrick wanted, to thank him for dinner.

Despite David’s efforts, Patrick seemed almost preoccupied and even standoffish all morning, not even teasing David once about him appearing in the store before 10AM. It bothered David a lot more than he thought it would. He missed Patrick’s jokes, even if they were at his expense.

Thankfully, by the time David returned with lunch a couple hours later, Patrick’s usual teasing grin had returned, and all was right with David’s world. David called the farm stand they’d stopped at the day before and started working out a contract with them, with Patrick’s help for the technical stuff. Dinner was Chinese takeout eaten in the stockroom while Patrick did inventory.

It was a normal day. A normal week. The only difference was that the light in Patrick’s window stayed on late every night now, Patrick’s shadow passing by occasionally letting David know he was still awake.

David could have turned invisible and found out what he was doing, maybe even what he was thinking, but it didn’t feel right to intrude on Patrick like that.

Patrick trusted him, after all.

On Friday, Alexis called him. Her number flashed up on his phone as he was showing Patrick options for replacement picture frames for the horrible ones on the back wall.

“Sorry, give me a minute,” David apologized, moving away and letting Patrick have his computer back.

“What do you need, Alexis?”

“Is that a nice way to greet your sister, David?” Alexis asked indignantly.

David rolled his eyes. “It’s just that you only call me when you need something, so I’m going to assume that’s what it is. You know I don’t have access to an embassy or anything in your bedroom at Mom and Dad’s house, right?”

Patrick raised his eyebrows at him from across the store, and David shook his head exasperatedly making his friend laugh.

“Yes, I know that, David. I was _actually_ calling to see how that whole thing was going. Living off the grid in the middle of nowhere. It must be exciting.”

David wanted to reply with a sarcastic comment about just how _exciting_ the town was, but Patrick was sitting right there, and David didn’t want him to think he’d disliked their trip on Monday or any of the time they’d spent together on Main Street.

“It’s not New York or anything, but it’s cute. It’s nice, actually. I like it here.”

The little smile on Patrick’s face out of the corner of his eye was more than worth it.

“Aw, David!” Alexis practically squealed. “What have you been up to there? Have you met like a hot farmer or something?”

David’s eyes flicked over to Patrick again. Well, he wasn’t a farmer. “I’ve been helping out at a store in town,” he settled with.

“Oh really? What kind of store?”

David thought for a moment. “Well, it’s a general store, but it’s also a very specific store.”

Patrick snorted from the other side of the room. David shot him a glare which just made Patrick laugh.

“And that means?”

David sighed exasperatedly. “We carry local products under the store’s brand, which is ‘Oak Valley General Store.’” He looked back at Patrick, staring directly into his eyes. “I’m not the biggest fan of the name; I would have gone with ‘Apothecary’ rather than ‘General Store.’”

Patrick narrowed his eyes and mouthed “pretentious?” from across the room.

David rolled his eyes at Patrick but couldn’t stop an almost fond smile from spreading across his face.

“Oh, that would have been way cuter!” Alexis commented.

“Yes, it _would_ have been way cuter, Alexis, thank you,” he emphasized, his smile turning into a full victory grin at Patrick.

Patrick laughed again and shook his head.

David’s conversation with Alexis quickly devolved into a description of Stavros’s yacht party that David found himself quickly becoming invested in. Spending time with Patrick was really nice, but he did miss trashy New York gossip just a bit.

The bell rang at the door, pulling David from the conversation enough to see that it was Leah who’d walked in. Patrick got up to help her, but David held up a hand.

“I’ve got it, Patrick. I’ll help you in one sec, Leah.”

He focused back on his phone. “Okay, Alexis, I’ve got to go.”

“Who are Patrick and Leah?” Alexis asked curiously.

“Patrick’s my-” David stopped. Patrick was his friend, but something about that label didn’t feel right. Was there a word for guy you just met a week and a half ago who you’ve spent almost every waking second with ever since who you definitely have a thing for but aren’t dating because it would be a bad idea?

“Patrick owns the store,” David settled with. “and Leah works at the café down the street. I promised I’d show her the best conditioner for her hair type, so I really have to go.”

“Oh, so you must be spending a lot of time with this _Patrick_.”

David rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time. “I have to _go,_ Alexis.”

“Ugh, fine David. Keep your cute shop owner to yourself. We can talk later.”

David decided not to comment on any of that, knowing that it would just encourage her, so he said goodbye forcefully and hung up the phone.

“Sorry about that, Leah. My sister,” he explained simply, gesturing to his phone as he put it away. “Let me show you what I was talking about yesterday.”

Leah left twenty minutes later with new conditioner and shampoo, and David settled down behind the counter, happy to take a break for a few minutes.

“So, do you really think ‘Oak Valley Apothecary’ would have worked better?”

Patrick had gotten up from his corner desk and was walking over to him, his eyes sparkling.

David knew their routine and played right into it. “Absolutely. But a bigger problem is that you’re insisting on using the town name. You should really be establishing your own brand, and having the town name in the title kind of makes it seem like you’re associated with the town. It’s less about you.”

“So you’re saying it should have been ‘Brewer Apothecary?’ Or ‘Patrick’s Apothecary?’” Patrick grinned at him.

David made a face. “Definitely not ‘Patrick’s Apothecary.’ That’s not right at all. What you really need is something more classic. ‘ _Rose_ Apothecary’ has such a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

David knew that Patrick knew he was messing with him, but Patrick took the bait immediately.

“So I should have named my store I opened with my then fiancée after _you,_ a man I had never met?” Patrick’s amusement was palpable.

David shrugged. “If it fits.”

David watched Patrick fight back a laugh before the teasing glint returned to his eyes letting David know that something else was coming.

“But wouldn’t they get confused with Rose Video?”

David stopped. He hadn’t expected that.

“There hasn’t been a brick and mortar Rose Video in-”

“Oh in ages, yeah I know,” Patrick interrupted him, grinning even wider. “But there used to be one up the road. My first job was at that Rose Video actually. Made me the man I am today.”

Patrick knew. He definitely knew.

David didn’t want Patrick to know.

“Well, I don’t think there would really be any confusion,” David said slowly.

“Oh, I don’t know, David,” Patrick pressed. “Rose Video was a pretty big deal. You wouldn’t want anyone to mis-associate it.”

“Nope, no, we wouldn’t want that.”

Patrick brought a hand to his chin as if in thought, only his eyes betraying him. “It’s funny, you having the same last name as Johnny Rose.”

David gritted his teeth. “Yeah. Funny.”

“Didn’t Johnny have kids?” Patrick continued, the corner of his mouth twitching. “What was his son’s name again? D-something…. Derrick? Darren? Daniel?”

“David,” David practically spat out.

Patrick clapped his hands together. “David! That was it! David Rose.” He stopped as though suddenly realizing something. “Wait but that’s _your_ name, David. What a crazy coincidence!”

David groaned, finally giving up. “How long have you known?”

Patrick finally allowed himself to grin at David, a laugh escaping as he watched him. “I figured it out a week ago. I should have remembered with the name, and you do look like your dad.”

“Oh, thank you,” David replied sarcastically.

“I mean not exactly like him,” Patrick backpedaled quickly. “You’re more…” he trailed off

“More what?” David looked over at him skeptically.

“Just more, um, you.”

Patrick was blushing. That was new.

David and Patrick had spent the better part of the last week and a half together, joking about anything, teasing each other, getting to know each other’s likes and dislikes, moods and mannerisms. They _could_ be flirting. David certainly was at least some of the time. It was hard not to when he saw Patrick’s face light up or when Patrick alternated with ease between teasing David mercilessly and tossing out casual compliments that never failed to make David lose focus.

David liked Patrick. A lot.

More than he should, probably.

He wasn’t good enough for Patrick, that much was obvious. David was a mess, damaged and broken. And he had to go back to New York sometime. Patrick would stay here in his own world where he had his store and his town and his simple, but fulfilling, life. David was far too complicated for Oak Valley. He was lucky just to get to stay here for a while and to be Patrick’s friend.

Maybe Patrick liked him too. So what? Either way, it wasn’t fair to Patrick for David to do anything about it.


	4. Learning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the comments on this. They all really mean a lot!
> 
> A few more familiar faces pop up in this bit - I hope you guys like it!
> 
> Enjoy!

The weekend went by in the same fashion as the last two weeks, David fully content to help customers on the store’s busiest days and casually slip paint chips he’d gotten at the hardware store down the street onto Patrick’s desk as a not-so-subtle encouragement to think about repainting the interior of the store. Patrick was dragging his feet because Rachel could still want the store back someday, but David insisted that even _Rachel_ would be happy when she saw how much better it looked. He hadn’t won over Patrick yet, but David was confident he would eventually.

Patrick finally wore a non-blue shirt on Sunday, the purple completely throwing David off for the entire afternoon. Patrick, on the other hand, seemed delighted by David’s reaction, and on Monday when David came by the closed store to prepare for the arrival of the new farm stand produce the next day, Patrick was wearing a green and white striped t-shirt that David was sure had never been out of Patrick’s closet. David rolled his eyes, but all it took was a grin from Patrick to make David break down and laugh as they started laying out baskets and bins for the outdoor display.

David had never liked work more. He had never been so _involved_ with work before. Even with the exhibition he had been slowly putting together before he came to Oak Valley, the first one since he’d confronted his parents about buying all his patrons, he still had assistants and interns to do most of the work (with his approval of course, but still). Here at the store, he designed signs and printed them and hung them all himself. It was _his_ project. Well his and Patrick’s.

Patrick had even started getting David more familiar with costs and revenue projections, which David didn’t like, per se, but it made him feel like he was more of a part of this store than he’d been for most, if not all, of his exhibitions.

He was comfortable here. He was happy.

The farm stand deal was an instant success, and the store recorded what Patrick claimed was their best Tuesday in years. David beamed with pride.

And Patrick’s impressed smile was worth even more.

David also noticed that people started coming into the store for his advice specifically. Regular townsfolk would walk in and say hello to Patrick, but then direct their product questions to David. Some of them even knew his name too, which seemed wrong. Mostly it was other business owners on Main Street whose establishments David had been frequenting in the last few weeks, but sometimes it was entirely random people with no connections to local business at all. Patrick’s old fifth grade teacher came in asking for David to help her pick out a housewarming gift for a friend before she even said hello to Patrick. A businessman who stopped by for produce almost daily thanked David for stocking blueberries since they were his wife’s favorite. A town visitor had apparently been recommended by the hotel across the street to stop in and have David tell her about the store.

“I’m sure it’s nothing against you,” David said once the visitor left with some souvenirs to take back to wherever she’d come from. “I’ve been staying at the hotel for almost three weeks, and Karen and Ben over at the front desk are just trying to ensure they keep my business.”

Patrick laughed at that and came out from behind his desk. “It’s okay, David. I don’t mind them coming here for you. I’m secure in knowing that this entire place would collapse without my business expertise.”

David nodded quickly. “That’s accurate.”

Patrick offered him that small, soft smile that David thought was probably his favorite. “The town really likes you. I think it’s nice.”

David shrugged but smiled to himself anyway. It _was_ nice. It was more than nice.

The fact that Patrick himself was probably included in “the town” that really liked him was easily the best part.

After their phone call the previous week, Alexis started texting him periodically, asking about the store and about Patrick. Apparently she’d googled the store name and found an old article from when it had opened with a picture of Patrick and Rachel standing out in front.

 **He’s such a button-face!** Alexis texted David one afternoon during a lull in foot-traffic. **Who’s the girl with him?**

 **His ex-fiancée,** David replied, glad the bitterness he felt when he thought about Patrick having a fiancée didn’t translate into text.

**Oh. So he’s straight?**

David rolled his eyes. **I don’t know, Alexis. It doesn’t matter.**

**It seems like maybe it does matter. To you. ;)**

David declined to text her back in favor of emailing Patrick a link to a website to compare paint colors, which led to his friend exasperatedly leaving his desk to come complain to David at the counter, which was what David had wanted in the first place.

The following weekend was busier than the previous one, with the new additions to the store and David’s newfound popularity (David had described it that way to Patrick which had led to the other man teasing him for an entire day about high school cliques and the cool kids table). Patrick had apparently gotten behind on inventory with how busy they’d been, so Sunday afternoon found David fielding customers while Patrick camped out in the stockroom.

A call came into the store just as a middle-aged couple walked through the door, wide, almost proud smiles on their faces as they looked around.

“Oak Valley General Store,” David answered the store phone, his nose wrinkling almost involuntarily. As fond as he was of the store itself, the name still felt so generic. It could have just as easily been describing some early North American trading post.

David quickly answered a question about store hours for the person on the other end of the line, before turning his attention back to the couple now wandering through the store.

“So you’re not a big fan of the name either?” The middle-aged woman was smiling at him knowingly.

David didn’t want to lie, but he also didn’t want to say anything mean about Patrick when Patrick wasn’t there to be teased.

The woman laughed at his indecision. “Patrick didn’t love the name himself when he and Rachel started this place.”

That was news to David. “Oh really?” David leaned over the counter.

The woman came up to him shaking her head conspiratorially. “Nope. It was Rachel’s idea, and Patrick didn’t have a better one, so they went with it. I think it’s grown on him a bit, but he still doesn’t seem entirely wedded to it.”

“Well Patrick hasn’t given me that impression at all, so I will absolutely take that up with him.” Patrick was still dangling the Rose Video thing over his head, and David needed ammunition to get back at him.

The man laughed now, joining David and the woman at the counter. “You definitely aren’t letting him walk all over you,” he said, sizing David up with a kind smile that seemed somehow familiar. “Patrick can be a bit more sarcastic than he should be, but I can tell that you don’t let him get away with it. That’s good.”

David smiled hesitantly at the compliment. He wasn’t sure who these people were, but they clearly knew Patrick very well, and they also seemed to know who he was.

“We’re Patrick’s parents,” the woman said, clearly sensing David’s confusion. “Marcy and Clint Brewer. And you must be David.”

David’s eyes grew wide. Patrick’s parents. He was meeting Patrick’s parents just like that. “Oh, um, yes. David Rose. Nice to meet you.” He shook Clint’s outstretched hand and then Marcy’s, but she held onto him for a moment, pulling him toward her as she leaned in over the counter.

There was something behind her eyes, a bright sort of happiness that David recognized from Patrick’s face. That was how Patrick looked at him sometimes.

“Thank you for helping my boy,” she said softly, her words heavy with meaning that David couldn’t quite decipher.

“Of course,” David replied automatically, not really sure what he was being thanked for. “He just needed someone with more of an eye for color and aesthetics.”

Marcy Brewer let go of his hand with one last squeeze. “Right, that’s what he needed,” she said simply, but David couldn’t help but feel that he’d missed something.

“Patrick’s doing inventory in the back, I can get him.”

But Marcy put a hand on his arm to stop him before David could get off his stool. “No, that’s fine, David. We just wanted to stop in and see the store.”

“So you’re working with the farm stand up the road?” Clint asked conversationally.

David nodded and offered a quick summation of their contract and his hopes for an expansion.

Both Brewers smiled and nodded the whole way through David’s explanation, exchanging small glances at each other that David registered but also didn’t understand.

Marcy asked a few questions about changes to the displays, and David soon found himself discussing picture frames and paint colors and complimenting Patrick for his business model and for his spreadsheet tutorials that meant David actually had some idea of how things worked financially at the store now.

Clint drifted away for a moment, distracted by something on his phone, leaving David alone with Marcy.

“It’s been so nice to hear Patrick so excited these past few weeks,” she said after a moment. “I don’t think he’s been so happy at the store since they first opened it. Maybe not even then.”

“Oh,” David exhaled softly, barely a breath. He didn’t know what to say.

“You’ve made a real difference here, David. More than you know.”

And then she had moved away, asking Clint if they needed new dishtowels, leaving David standing by Patrick’s computer, Marcy’s words echoing through his head. Patrick was happy here. Because _David_ was with him.

David knew that _he_ was happier because of Patrick, but to hear the same was true the other way around was a lot to take in.

“Hey David, did you-” Patrick cut off his own question when he emerged from the stockroom to see his parents milling around the store. “How long have you guys been here?”

“Oh, a while,” Marcy waved him away. “David’s been showing us all the changes you boys have made.”

Patrick’s eyes flicked over to David who was just able to manage a small smile which Patrick returned, that same kind of happiness in his eyes that David had seen in Marcy’s.

“Oh, I’m glad you’ve met,” he said, his words sincere.

“I can tell you really got lucky with this one, son,” Clint said to Patrick as he clapped David on the back with an unexpected friendliness. “He was showing off your profits and projections. I’m impressed.”

“You showed them?” The question was for David.

David shrugged. “I didn’t think you would mind.”

Patrick shook his head quickly, the usual teasing glint returning to his eyes. “No, I don’t mind. I just didn’t know that you were paying enough attention to know what they meant.”

David rolled his eyes. “ _Yes_ , I was paying attention, Patrick. You’re not a bad teacher.”

That made Patrick smile a little proudly but with something almost like fondness. “What a ringing endorsement, David. Thank you.”

His thanks felt much more genuine than they should have been.

“I just love the baskets out front,” Marcy interrupted their moment, pulling David and Patrick out of their bubble and back to where Patrick’s parents were at the front of the store.

Eventually Clint and Marcy had to go, easily extending David an invitation to dinner on Tuesday at their house.

Patrick walked them to the door as David pretended to be busy at the back wall.

“It’s so nice to see you so happy, my sweet boy.” Marcy’s voice carried even in a whisper.

Patrick’s reply was lost, but when the couple left and David turned around to face his friend, there was a look on Patrick’s face that David didn’t quite recognize.

“I like your parents,” David said to break the silence between them.

Patrick smiled at him fully, that awed expression on his face that always made David feel special, particularly because he’d never seen it directed at anyone but him. “They really like you too.”

“You should hear how they talk about you,” David added with a small smile. “They couldn’t be more proud.”

Patrick smile turned almost bashful. “They’re my parents. They’re supposed to be proud of me.”

David’s face fell at that.

“David?”

David shook his head at Patrick’s voice and managed a sad smile. “Just don’t take them for granted. You’re lucky to have parents who believe in you like that.”

“Your parents must be proud of you, though, David,” Patrick reassured him, coming closer. “All your galleries and everything. They have plenty to be proud of.”

David sighed and shook his head. “A few months ago, when I was-” David had been invisible when he overheard his father making arrangements for the gallery with his assistant. It had been right at the beginning of his relationship with Sebastian, and it had also marked the beginning of the worst time in David’s life. “Well it doesn’t matter how I found out, but I found out that my parents were actually paying for everything. I mean I knew they paid for the gallery space and for the startup costs, but they bought all my patrons too, all the art. They didn’t want me to fail because it would reflect back on them.” David stared hard at the ground. “My parents aren’t mean, or at least they don’t try to be, but they never believed in me like that. Maybe they were right.”

“David-”

“No, it’s fine, Patrick. I’ll just finish up doing inventory for you.”

He grabbed Patrick’s clipboard from the counter and disappeared into the stockroom before Patrick could say anything else.

He hadn’t meant to unload on Patrick like that, but he couldn’t stop himself. There was something about Patrick that just made David want to tell him everything.

At closing, Patrick called in to David that he was going to grab dinner, leaving the store before David could even argue.

He was back twenty minutes later with pizza and breadsticks and cookies because he knew David, and they sat at the table in the stockroom talking about nothing, and it was somehow the kindest thing anyone had ever done for him.

“David, can I show you something?” Patrick said softly later, only empty boxes between them on the table now, their casual conversation having run its course.

David nodded, unsure, but followed Patrick out into the store over to Patrick’s computer.

Patrick gestured for him to sit down.

“I showed you some of the profit stuff for this week, but I never showed you this.”

Patrick had pulled up a couple charts. Of _course_ he had.

“So this one’s the store visitors over the last three months,” Patrick said, moving the cursor to the first chart. “You can see it’s pretty steady for a while, and then a little over two weeks ago it picked up, and in the past week it’s been a significant increase.”

David glanced up at Patrick skeptically.

“Now this one,” Patrick moved on to the second chart, not even bothering to look at David. “This one shows customers who made purchases as a percentage of total visitors, and you can see here that there’s a definite increase here starting two and a half weeks ago that’s continued ever since. So we have more people coming in and an even greater number of those people are actually buying things.”

David sighed. “I get it. Sales have been better the last couple weeks.”

“Yeah, because of _you_ ,” Patrick insisted immediately.

“Because I’m new around here,” David fired back. “The same thing would have happened with anyone coming in from outside Oak Valley.”

Patrick shook his head. “Maybe we’d have gotten a little bump, a week of people being curious, but this is different, David. You’re _great_ at this,” Patrick insisted earnestly. “The town trusts you.” Patrick gestured to the front of the store where he’d brought in the produce baskets from outside. “We sold out of practically everything this week. And it was all _your_ idea.”

Patrick sighed as he looked down at David. “Your parents should believe in you, David. And even if they don’t, _I_ do. I know it’s not the same, but I just hope you can feel proud of everything you’ve done here.” Patrick paused. “And everything you’re going to do when you get back to New York.”

Patrick left him then, walking over to the counter instead to close up the register, leaving David at the corner desk just staring.

When he got back to New York. There it was again. The ticking clock. David hardly ever thought about New York when he was at the store; there were too many things to distract him. But apparently Patrick was thinking about it.

Eventually David would have to leave this place where he felt valued, where Patrick could pull out a chart and show him exactly how he had helped. David was going to have to leave, to go back to the real world where there wasn’t Patrick with pizza and cookies and graphs put together just to make David feel better. There were just empty galleries, parents he was still mad at, and an ex-boyfriend he needed to avoid for the rest of his life.

Again, the thought David had been pushing away for the last couple weeks came back.

_I want to stay here. I don’t want to leave Patrick._

But, again, David shut it down. He was living in a dream, and someday he would have to wake up.

David swept the floor as Patrick shut down his computer, silence stretching between them.

As they separated outside the store that night, Patrick informed David regretfully that he had bills to pay and un-fun errands to run the next day, inviting David to join him, but cautioning him it would be boring. David, out of self-preservation, declined, but Patrick insisted that David come over for dinner that day regardless.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, David,” Patrick said with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Patrick turned away to go up to his apartment, but David couldn’t let it go any longer.

“Patrick, thank you.”

Patrick turned back to him, his face more open than it had been. “It just hurt to hear you put yourself down like that,” he said quietly, not quite meeting David’s eyes. “I needed you to know how much you mean to… to the store.”

David stared back at Patrick. “The _store_ means a lot to me too.”

They left it at that. Maybe tomorrow they’d talk about it more. Maybe.

Of course that didn’t stop David from watching the shadows across the street in Patrick’s apartment for the rest of the night.

Patrick’s errands the next day left David with his first entirely free time since he got to Oak Valley. He spent the morning lounging around his hotel room like he’d been planning on doing for the entirety of his stay in town before he’d met Patrick, but he quickly found himself feeling restless. Sighing, he left the hotel with a wave at Ben at the front desk and decided to go sit in the park with his notebook. He could always sketch out new product labels and come up with more ideas for how to convince Patrick to let him repaint the store.

Downtown was quiet today. A lot of Main Street closed on Mondays, and it wasn’t as nice out as it had been for the last couple weeks. The only figure coming up the sidewalk was a middle-aged woman that David recognized from the store. She always somehow managed to turn what should be a quick five-minute purchase into a half hour of David’s life that he would never get back with stories about grandkids and cats and apparently no regard for David’s time.

This was David’s day off, and he needed a break, so he made a quick decision and ducked into a tiny side alley.

He hadn’t had much occasion at all to be invisible since he arrived in Oak Valley. He was usually with Patrick, so turning invisible would have been awkward, and, just as he’d found in his first week in town, he still felt no need to be invisible around his new friend to determine if Patrick actually liked him or not. After Patrick’s charts the night before, David trusted him more than ever. Even the worry that Patrick would get sick of him was beginning to recede.

They were a team. And maybe it wasn’t the best thing in the world that David could feel himself getting more and more attached to Patrick with every passing day, or that he already loved Patrick’s parents who seemed to know more about David’s feelings than he knew himself, or that he really _really_ missed Patrick today even though they’d spent three weeks almost exclusively in each other’s company. But it was so much better than any relationship David had ever had. He certainly didn’t need to be invisible from Patrick.

But he was glad to be invisible from the rest of the world for a few moments if only to save himself from a conversation about Mrs. Murphy’s daughter-in-law’s nephew finally learning to walk.

David stepped back out onto the street, fully invisible as Mrs. Murphy walked right past him a minute later. He let out a relieved sigh.

“David!”

David turned around to see Patrick waving at him from across the street, glancing up and down, clearly about to cross over to join him.

David blinked. He was still invisible, right? Mrs. Murphy would have stopped him if he wasn’t. And was pretty sure he hadn’t decided to not be invisible yet. He didn’t have any way to tell one way or another himself, but it had been years since he’d disappeared or reappeared by accident.

David quickly let himself be visible, or maybe he already was? Patrick was half-jogging over to him, and David was confused.

David’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out without thinking, his mind still trying to work out what had happened with Patrick.

But in an instant, David’s focus shifted entirely from Main Street to his phone screen, even Patrick fading to the background.

It was a text from an unknown number.

**I’m gonna need you tomorrow. Come by tonight and we can talk and whatever else. See you then, babe.**

It was Sebastien, right on schedule. Fuck.


	5. Disappearing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys all so so much for all the comments on the last part of this - it seriously means the world to me.
> 
> This is where things start getting intense, so I hope you guys like it!!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Hey! I got done early. What are you… David, are you okay?” Patrick had reached him, and he knew something was up.

David shook his head quickly and tried to turn away, but Patrick reached out and gripped him by the shoulders.

“Hey, David. Talk to me.”

David found himself momentarily distracted from Sebastien by Patrick’s hands on him, his thumbs stroking lightly over David’s sweater, comforting, distracting.

As close as David and Patrick had become in the last three weeks, physical contact between them had been limited. The handshake when they first met. The occasional brush of an arm as they passed each other in the store. Fingers touching when one handed something to the other. But Patrick’s hands were steady on his shoulders, anchoring David to the earth and to him. David didn’t want him to let go.

“It’s nothing,” David said, unable to meet Patrick’s eyes. “Just a text from my ex, that’s all.”

Patrick’s grip on David tightened, and David looked up at him reflexively.

David had never seen Patrick angry, but this was definitely anger. Patrick was glaring at the ground so intensely David half expected him to burn a hole in the sidewalk.

“Patrick, really it’s fine.”

Patrick’s eyes snapped up to meet David’s. “It’s not fine, David,” Patrick said firmly. “He hurt you badly enough to make you run away from New York and hide out in the middle of nowhere for weeks. It’s definitely _not_ fine. What did he say?”

David held out his phone. “Just that he wants to meet up tonight.”

Patrick’s hands fell from David’s shoulders to take the phone, David instantly missing the contact. Patrick read the text quickly, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

“What does he mean he’s going to ‘need you’ tomorrow? I don’t like the sound of that.”

David had to think fast. “I can get him access to things,” he said, not lying, though certainly not giving away anything. “There must be some event or something tomorrow.”

David couldn’t tell Patrick the whole truth. It would be so hard to explain, and he knew Patrick wouldn’t look at him quite the same afterward. It was easier to just be vague and move past it.

Patrick stared hard at David’s phone and shook his head. “You won’t text him back, will you?” His words were worried now, unsure.

“No, of course not,” David reassured him immediately.

Patrick’s face relaxed slightly, and he looked up at David, a small smile on his face. “I’m really glad you’re here and not in New York.”

David smiled back, his immediate panic slipping away in Patrick’s presence. “I am too.”

Patrick looked around at their current location on the sidewalk. “Were you going to the park?”

David nodded. “Yeah, I was going to write or sketch or something. I needed to get out of my room. I’m guess not used to spending a lot of time there.”

Patrick blushed slightly at that, his eyes not meeting David’s for a moment. “That’s probably my fault.”

David laughed. “I’m just surprised you haven’t gotten sick of me yet.”

David had been joking (okay, like seventy-five percent joking), but when Patrick looked back up at him, his eyes were dark and serious.

“I could never get sick of you, David.”

David blinked at him. Maybe right _now_ Patrick couldn’t see himself being sick of David, but someday Patrick was definitely going to need a break from him. Patrick didn’t know what he was talking about.

When David didn’t reply, Patrick looked away again, seeming conflicted about something. “I know we really _have_ spent a lot of time together, and you probably need a break from _me_ -”

“I don’t,” David interrupted quickly. It was true. He’d been missing Patrick since he’d had late room service breakfast alone that morning, no Patrick to eat with.

Patrick’s face broke into a relieved smile. “Oh. Um. Well, could I come with you to the park then? I finished the stuff I had to do early, and I, um, I guess I just want to make sure you’re okay with… everything.” Patrick gestured at David’s phone.

David had already almost forgotten about Sebastien’s text.

“Oh, right.”

Patrick shook his head. “Sorry, that sounds like I don’t think you can take care of yourself or like I’m some kind of stalker, but-”

“No, it’s okay. You can come with me,” David interrupted him again, the worry in Patrick’s voice somehow calming him even more. Patrick really cared about him. That thought alone made everything okay.

Patrick nodded at him gratefully, and the pair continued on to the park, David finding a bench by the small pond and settling there with Patrick at his side.

David flipped open his notebook and started sketching out a new layout for the storefront. Another farm further from town had reached out about the store selling their flowers, and David was trying to figure out the best configuration for potted plant shelves in the front window. He used to do this with his galleries when he was trying to organize an exhibit, but he’d never drawn out anything with someone next to him, especially not someone who was looking over his shoulder and offering comments like Patrick was doing. David typically preferred silence when he was thinking, but as with most things about Patrick, David didn’t mind.

Drawing eventually devolved into conversation about the store which morphed into people watching as a few families drifted into the park with children and dogs. David had almost forgotten about Sebastien by the time Patrick told him they should go get started on dinner, and they walked back to Patrick’s apartment side-by-side.

Cooking with Patrick was fun, domestic in a way David had never thought he would like. Patrick teased him, David teased back. It would have been perfect except the undercurrent of tension David could feel radiating off Patrick.

“Are you okay?” David finally asked him as the night got later. Patrick hadn’t spoken in a few minutes; he was just staring at the TV playing a rom-com that they’d put on for background noise more than anything.

Patrick started. “Sorry, I’m just in my head. I’m good.”

David raised his eyebrows.

“I’m worried about you,” Patrick admitted finally, his eyes not meeting David’s. “I want you to be safe.”

David almost launched himself across the room to kiss Patrick at that, but he settled for a reassuring smile and blinking back a few tears. He could never deserve Patrick. Not ever.

“I’ll be fine, Patrick,” David said as confidently as he could. “Sebastien doesn’t know where I am. I’ll be okay.”

Patrick sighed and nodded. “Well, at least let me walk you home.”

David laughed. “It’s just across the street, Patrick. My room looks right over into yours.”

That made Patrick smile. “Have you been watching me, David?”

David shook his head regretfully. “I can’t see past your curtains.”

Patrick laughed and got up, pushing the fabric aside at the street-facing windows in the living room and the kitchen. “There. Now you can see me.”

David stood up too, sensing that it was better he leave now before things got too serious.

As promised, Patrick walked David back across the street and then all the way up into his hotel room.

David almost invited him inside, but it didn’t feel quite right. He cared for Patrick. He wanted Patrick. But he needed to be sure that Sebastien was gone before he really let Patrick in. Things were too complicated and confusing to involve Patrick right now.

Maybe if this all blew over it would be okay for them. Maybe.

“Goodnight, Patrick,” David said softly.

Patrick reached out and squeezed his upper arm gently. “Goodnight, David. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And then he turned and was gone.

That was the best thing about Patrick. David always saw him tomorrow.

He went to the window and watched Patrick go back into his apartment, his figure appearing at the window a moment later. With the curtains pulled back, David could see Patrick easily, his face in shadow but his outline clear in the backlight of the living room. He offered David a wave, which David returned before moving back into his room.

Now that he was alone, all of David’s worries about Sebastien came flooding back. What he’d told Patrick was true; Sebastien didn’t know where he was. But Sebastien was smart and resourceful, and if he decided that David was really worth his time, Sebastien could track him down.

David pulled out his phone, thankfully with no new messages from Sebastien, and texted Alexis to let her know what was going on. David checked his phone periodically as he got ready for bed, but she never replied. She must be busy. Alexis was always busy.

Before he got in bed, David went to his window again. He could see Patrick in the kitchen now, cleaning up, though David was sure Patrick should have been finished with that already. Knowing his friend was there, just across the street, made David feel just a little bit better. The light from Patrick’s apartment was enough to make him feel safe as he drifted off to sleep.

David woke up the next morning abruptly as though someone had knocked on his door or yelled in his ear. It was still gray outside, not night but not nearly morning enough for David.

He pulled out his phone to check the time and realized with a jolt what had woken him up.

Another text from an unknown number.

**So sad I didn’t get to see you last night. I’ll come find you today and we can chat.**

David started to panic. Sebastien was going to find him. He wasn’t safe anymore.

Another glance at his phone told him it was 7:30. The store didn’t open until 9, but David was sure Patrick was already up. He could see the light from Patrick’s kitchen, even if he couldn’t see Patrick himself.

David quickly got ready. He packed a small bag of the most essential things, leaving behind the rest. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he had to be ready to leave.

It was a little after eight by the time David hurried out of the lobby, barely managing a wave at Karen as he passed reception.

David quickly crossed the street and was about to pound on Patrick’s door when he noticed a figure inside the store window, sweeping the floors that David knew he had just swept on Sunday night.

David breathed a sigh of relief as he let himself into the store.

Patrick looked up at him, surprise turning to worry in an instant.

“David, what’s wrong?”

David had been in control as he got ready and packed his things and made the beginnings of a plan, but standing there at the door with Patrick looking at him like he mattered maybe more than anything, David felt himself start to collapse.

“He said he was going to come find me,” David managed before he felt his legs start to give out from under him.

He didn’t hit the wall behind him. Patrick was there before he could fall back at all, holding him upright, leading him to the stockroom, settling him down on the floor, David entirely unable to protest. Not that he wanted to – if Patrick had put him in the chair, Patrick couldn’t be holding him and David couldn’t bury his face into Patrick’s neck.

“Breathe for me, okay? Just breathe, David. It’s okay. I have you. You’re okay.”

David settled into the embrace, breathing in and out like Patrick had asked. The feel of Patrick next to him grounded him and he relaxed just slightly.

He felt a slight pressure on the side of his head. A kiss, David was sure. The brush of Patrick’s lips against his hair, a reassurance that Patrick was there and that he cared about David no matter what.

It was too much for David to think about.

The two men sat there until David’s breathing returned to normal, and he finally pulled back. His eyes were wet with tears that hadn’t yet fallen, and he rubbed at them. He was hyperaware of all the points of contact with Patrick – their hips, David’s arm rubbing against Patrick’s, Patrick’s fingers brushing at David’s shoulder.

“Hey, are you with me?”

Patrick’s voice was soft, full of tenderness and concern.

David managed to nod as he glanced up at him. “Thank you.”

“Anything, David,” Patrick said, his eyes intense on David’s.

David felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked away. That was too much.

Patrick moved back to give David some space, but David shifted enough that his knee was touching Patrick’s. He needed some contact, just to know that Patrick was really there and that he was okay.

“I had a text from him when I woke up,” David spoke finally.

“That he was going to find you,” Patrick filled in, nodding, the hard look from the day before back in his eyes.

David nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well you’re going to stay here with me, and it’ll be okay. He doesn’t know where you are, and we’re going to keep it that way.”

David took a shaking breath. “Okay.”

Patrick stood up, looking as sure of himself as he had ever been. “Are you okay to stay here by yourself for a few minutes if I lock up everything? I know you need coffee, and I’ll grab you something to eat.”

David offered the smallest smile. “That would be really great, Patrick. Thank you.”

Patrick waved it away. “It’s nothing, David.”

But David shook his head. “It’s not nothing, Patrick,” he said firmly. “None of this is nothing.”

Patrick smiled back, and then he was gone. David heard the lock turn, and he finally picked himself up off the floor of the back room. It wasn’t dusty or dirty, because Patrick and David were nothing if not thorough in their cleaning, but David had never been one for sitting on floors. He brushed off his pants and his sweater and settled back in a chair instead.

Patrick returned quickly, pressing David’s coffee into his hand, made exactly the way he liked it, and setting down a bag of homemade donuts from the bakery a few doors down on the table in front of him.

“Have I ever told you that you’re my favorite person,” David said easily as he opened the bag and pulled out a glazed donut, still warm.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted an affectionate smile on Patrick’s face, but Patrick didn’t say anything.

“I’ll get us ready to open,” Patrick announced finally. “Just stay back here today.”

David shook his head. “You don’t have to be this nice to me.”

Patrick just stared at him, his eyes entirely serious. “Yes, I do.”

David had to blink back tears after Patrick left. He was emotional from the whole Sebastien thing, but Patrick really couldn’t go around saying stuff like that. David couldn’t take it.

David spent most of the morning in the stockroom, only leaving a couple times to stretch his legs and try to encourage Patrick to come back and sit with him which always worked, at least for a little while. Patrick locked up the store at lunch to run out and grab them food which they ate together in the back. David kept obsessively checking his phone, but he didn’t hear anything else from Sebastien and even Alexis hadn’t texted him back yet.

As Patrick threw David’s trash away for him and left to go reopen the store with a wink and a smile, David found himself feeling more okay than he had any right to feel. He was so grateful for Patrick. Because of him he felt safe and protected and somehow more at home than he’d ever felt anywhere. He’d never liked anyone anywhere nearly as much as he liked Patrick. Not ever. And if they made it through this thing with Sebastien, David could start thinking about something happening between them. That thought alone could keep David going for the rest of the day.

Patrick returned making some joke, but David didn’t hear it as his phone rang, Alexis’s contact coming up on the screen.

“Alexis?”

“David? Oh my God, David, are you okay?” Alexis was as close to hysterical as he’d ever heard her.

“Yeah, I’m fine. What is it, Alexis?”

“It’s bad, David. And it’s like kind of my fault, and I’m so sorry, but he knows.”

“Who knows what?”

“Sebastien. He knows where you are.”

David felt his phone drop out of his hand into the table.

“David, what is it?” Patrick was in front of him in a second, holding David’s hand and grabbing the phone.

“Alexis? Alexis this is Patrick, David’s friend. What’s going on?”

David heard bits and pieces of the conversation. Something about Alexis telling their mom where David was and their mom telling someone else and a friend of a friend of a friend mentioning to Alexis that Sebastien knew somehow and that he was coming.

David didn’t care about what Sebastien was going to do to him anymore. The idea of being forced to be around him again, in this place that was _his_ , a place that was _safe_ , was terrible. But so much worse was the possibility that he could hurt Patrick. Sebastien was cruel and manipulative, and Patrick was going to get caught in the middle of everything somehow.

And there was definitely no way he’d ever look at David the same way again when he found out about what David had done for Sebastian and how he had done it. He would never see that concern in Patrick’s eyes that he saw right now as he stared at David, Alexis speaking rapidly into his ear. Patrick looked at David like he cared about him, like he wanted him to be a part of his life, like he _needed_ him even. But after Sebastien, Patrick wouldn’t see him anymore, not like he did now.

But then Patrick was nodding and saying okay and passing the phone back to David.

“Okay, I’m coming and it’s going to be okay.” Alexis sounded much more like herself now. Entirely in control and ready to handle anything. “I’m sorry, David. I am.”

David shook his head. “It’s not your fault, it’s mine.”

Patrick squeezed his hand hard at that, but then he left, and David could hear the sounds of Patrick bringing in produce bins and shutting down the register, telltale signs of him closing the store.

“Your Patrick really cares about you, doesn’t he, David?” Alexis’s words were softer, more tentative.

David felt tears pricking his eyes. _His_ Patrick. He liked the sound of that. If only it could be true. “Yeah. He does. I don’t know why.”

“I really like him,” Alexis said simply.

“I like him too.”

“I’ll see you soon, David.”

The line went dead.

Then Patrick was back. “Come on, we’ll go upstairs.”

He led David out of the store, David’s overnight bag slung over his shoulder, locking the door behind them.

It was a quick trip up the stairs to Patrick’s apartment, then Patrick settled David in his living room and grabbed him a glass of water. All David could do was stare at him. There was no way Patrick was real. No way at all.

Patrick eventually stopped hurrying around the apartment and made it back to the living room. He hesitated next to his usual armchair, but David made the decision for him as he reached out in an invitation for Patrick to sit with him on the sofa. David needed to be as close to Patrick as he could. He had a million thoughts to sort through, but everything always made more sense with Patrick beside him.

Patrick settled next to him easily, his arm finding its way just behind David’s shoulders.

David felt himself relax into Patrick, his breathing slowing down and syncing up with Patrick’s. He was scared and confused, but he couldn’t deny how right this felt.

Thoughts flew through David’s mind. Sebastien knew where he was. That meant Sebastien was going to find the store and Patrick, and he was going to destroy all of it. That’s what Sebastien did. He needed what David could give him, and so no one else got David. And David was going to pull perfect, selfless Patrick into it. No matter how right it felt to sit here with Patrick, to lean into the feeling of his hand rubbing against his shoulder, it wasn’t fair of David. Patrick deserved better.

But before David could decide on a course of action, the apartment door swung open.

David’s heart stopped for a moment, but it wasn’t Sebastien.

Instead, a small, pretty, red-haired woman stood in the doorway, looking just as surprised to see them as he was to see her.

Patrick tensed beside him. “What are you doing here, Rachel?”

So this was Rachel. The ex-fiancée. The woman whose store David had taken over. The woman whose ex-fiancé David had fallen hard for and who he was currently in all appearances cuddling with on the sofa.

David sat up, trying to put as much distance between himself and Patrick as he could manage on the small sofa.

Patrick’s arm slid from David’s shoulder as David shifted, but he reached out and clutched at David’s nearer hand instead, keeping David firmly in his space.

“Oh, um I texted,” Rachel replied awkwardly. “I wanted to see the store. I’d heard it’s changed a lot. It looked really nice through the window.” Rachel was being kind. David could see why she and Patrick had been together.

“Sorry, I haven’t checked my phone,” Patrick apologized quickly. “It’s not exactly the best time.” He glanced at David, clutching David’s hand even tighter.

“I heard you found someone,” Rachel spoke again, her words not angry but curious and maybe even amused. “I was a little surprised, but it makes sense now. I’m happy for you.”

This was too much for David. Patrick was next to him, holding tight to his hand, solid and constant. But they weren’t really together, and they shouldn’t be. Sebastien was coming and Patrick and his pretty, kind ex-fiancée didn’t need to be dragged into David’s life and all of his mistakes.

David pulled away from Patrick, ignoring his friend’s pleas behind him as he grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

“I’m sorry,” he said to Rachel as he passed her, not really sure what he was apologizing for, and then he hurried down the steps.

Just before he stepped outside he turned invisible. The one advantage he had was that Sebastien couldn’t see him. On the phone Alexis had sounded like she had some kind of plan, so if David could just stay out of sight until his sister got there, maybe things would be okay. David couldn’t usually count on Alexis, but she had seemed serious about helping him this time.

All that mattered was staying away from Sebastien and keeping him away from Patrick.

Out on the street David realized that he didn’t have much of an idea where to go. He couldn’t go to the hotel because Sebastien would definitely check there, and he didn’t want to be visible long enough to wait for the valet to bring out his car.

But he also couldn’t just stand on the street in front of the store, so he started walking at random, just needing to put distance between himself and Patrick.

He passed townspeople he knew and some he didn’t, but no one saw him as he slipped by right under their noses.

He had almost reached the park when he felt a hand grab his.

David wheeled around and found himself face to face with Patrick, his eyes wide and open as he looked at David.

“David, I’m not leaving you,” Patrick said breathlessly. “Stay with me, please.”

David looked down at their linked hands and then stared up at Patrick who was still staring at him. Even though he shouldn’t see him. Even though no one _could_ see him.

David was invisible. He _knew_ he was invisible. It wasn’t possible.

“How can you see me?” David asked equally breathless.

“What?” Confusion covered Patrick’s features.

“Patrick, I’m invisible,” David said slowly. “No one can see me right now… Except for you.”


	6. Seeing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! I've had so much fun working on this fic - it ended up being more than it was supposed to be, but I really like how it all turned out, and I can't thank you all enough for the wonderful comments on every part of this. You guys are the best :)
> 
> I really hope you like how this all ends!
> 
> Enjoy!

Patrick stared at him blankly. “I don’t understand.”

David felt nearly as confused as Patrick looked. “You’ve heard of people who can be invisible, right?”

Patrick nodded slowly. “I guess…One of my cousins sent me a bunch of conspiracy theories about it one summer. And there’s documentaries about it and stuff, aren’t there?” Patrick stared hard at him. “But… but even if you _were_ invisible, how am I talking to you? The whole point of being invisible is that you’re… invisible.”

David shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. No one’s ever seen me when I was invisible before.”

Patrick started to respond, but a sound from up a side street stopped him.

It was Karen, probably walking back from the parking lot behind the buildings. She was carrying a plastic bag, probably lunch to bring back to the hotel.

“Hi Patrick,” she said genially, but her eyes narrowed as she took a second look at David’s friend. “Are you okay?”

Patrick’s eye flicked over to David standing right in front of him who Karen had ignored entirely.

“Um, yeah. I’m fine,” Patrick said slowly. He glanced at David again. “I have a question though,” he said to Karen after a moment. “This might sound crazy, but have you seen David lately?”

Karen stared at him uneasily. “Is there a reason that would sound crazy? I haven’t seen David since this morning. Actually, I’ve never seen him up that early. Didn’t he go right over to the store?” She looked around as though she expected David to appear out of thin air somewhere. “Why isn’t he with you?”

Patrick looked between Karen and David, his eyes wide.

David raised an eyebrow. “See? I’m invisible.”

Patrick looked back at Karen expecting her to have heard David, but she was still just looking at Patrick, her expression growing increasingly troubled the longer Patrick glanced around without answering her.

“No one can hear me when I’m invisible either,” David explained, smirking slightly. This was an insane situation, but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mess with Patrick.

“Patrick?” Karen tried to regain Patrick’s attention, even more concerned now than she had been. “Is something wrong with David?”

Patrick shook his head quickly. “He just went out for a walk after lunch,” Patrick lied as smoothly as he could manage. “I just remembered I had to tell him something. He’s probably in the park.”

Karen nodded but didn’t seem entirely convinced. “Well, let me know if I can help. Are you really sure that you’re okay, Patrick?”

Patrick nodded again. “Yeah. Yep. I’ll see you, Karen.”

Karen took that as her cue to turn down the street toward the hotel, but she looked back a couple times skeptically as she went.

Patrick turned back to David.

David shrugged again. “I told you.”

Patrick shook his head. “I just… I don’t understand.”

David looked around. There were a few other townspeople on the streets and Patrick was getting a couple odd looks. “Okay, if we’re going to have this conversation, we need to go somewhere private because you look like you’re talking to thin air right now.”

Patrick managed a nod, and then started walking back down the street, David coming up beside him.

“We can go in the store,” Patrick said in a low voice.

David suddenly remembered Rachel. “Patrick, you should go back to your apartment. You just left Rachel there.”

Patrick looked back at him strangely. “I told you I wasn’t leaving you.”

David blinked at him. He had been sure that Patrick’s declaration was null and void in light of this new realization. But Patrick still wasn’t leaving.

“She’s just picking up a few things she accidentally left at the apartment,” Patrick continued as he unlocked the door and let David inside. “Apparently she got a permanent job in the city, so she’s leaving for good. I get the store, officially.”

David let out a breath at that. This store was Patrick’s, permanently, not just possibly or probably; it was _his_.

And if Patrick wasn’t leaving him… maybe, just maybe, David could stay too.

Neither of them spoke as they settled back into the store. Now that they were out of view of the street, David let himself be visible again, not that it mattered.

Patrick started. “Everyone can see you again, right?”

David nodded slowly. “Yeah, they can… How did you know that?’

Patrick’s eyes roaming over David, investigating. “I didn’t notice it before, but it was like you were glowing almost. Now you just look like normal.”

David disappeared just to see what would happen, and Patrick’s face lit up.

“David, you’re glowing! Can’t you see it?”

David looked down at his own hand. He looked the same as he always did. He shook his head.

Patrick came over and took David’s hand, staring at it, fascinated. “It’s beautiful,” he said almost reverently.

David’s breath caught in his throat as Patrick’s thumb started rubbing across David’s hand.

“And no one else can see this?” Patrick asked, his eyes focused on David’s skin beneath his fingers.

David shook his head, reappearing again, if only to distract Patrick so he could breathe. “No one. Not even Alexis. She’s the one who first figured out I could do it when we were kids. She’s kept it a secret for me ever since.”

Patrick looked up at him then. “Does anyone else know?”

David took a deep breath and nodded. “Sebastien.”

Patrick’s hand tightened in his. “So this is what he wants you to do for him?”

David sighed heavily and then nodded again. This was it. This was when Patrick was going to leave him. He’d do it nicely, David was sure, but David never see that awed look in his eyes again. But he had to come clean.

“Sebastien figured it out when we’d been seeing each other for maybe a month,” David began. “He’s smart, and I had just gotten sick of hiding it from everyone. I used to listen to conversations, try to figure out what people were saying about me, and it was never good. But Sebastien was so nice and when he asked if he was right about me being invisible, I told him he was. But he stopped being nice after that.”

“Oh, David,” Patrick’s hand had gone from an angry death grip around David’s hand to a soft caress, his thumb stroking against David’s wrist again, comforting him, grounding him.

“I didn’t want anyone else to know, and he used that against me,” David continued, needing to say everything, to make sure that Patrick understood who he was and what he’d done. “He said he was going to tell everyone. He said he had proof, and he does. Pictures and videos and things I’ve done for him. I did so many things for him. I-”

“Hey,” Patrick interrupted David softly. “You don’t have to tell me. Maybe someday if you want to, but you don’t have to tell me anymore right now. I don’t blame you for anything. None of this was your fault, David. He used you, and that’s on him, okay?” Patrick’s eyes were deep and kind.

David couldn’t look at him. He shook his head. “It was my fault. I did it. I let him.”

“To protect yourself, David,” Patrick pushed David’s argument aside. “It wasn’t your fault. I need you to know it wasn’t your fault.”

David stood there, letting Patrick’s words wash over him. He didn’t believe it, but with Patrick standing in front of him, holding his hand, speaking so earnestly, David almost felt like he could believe it someday.

Patrick hadn’t left him. Patrick was here.

“Sebastien couldn’t see you though, could he?” Patrick asked, his voice quieter now.

David shook his head. “No. Only you.”

“What do you think it means?” Patrick’s eyes were boring into David’s once again, intense but steady, solid. Comforting somehow.

It made David feel safe.

David thought back to late night online searches, urban legends, conspiracy forums. “There’s one thing,” he said slowly. “Some people like me say that they found someone who could see them. Just one person who could see them.” He paused. “They say it’s their soulmate.”

Patrick inhaled sharply, his eyes lighting up as he took David’s free hand in his. “Soulmate,” he repeated back to David.

David nodded carefully, feeling like one wrong move could shatter this moment between them. “Yeah,” he breathed back.

Patrick opened his mouth to say something, David waiting, hoping, needing to hear what Patrick thought about this, but the bell over the door stopped them.

In their hurry to get back into the store, Patrick had apparently neglected to lock the door, though the closed sign was still turned.

“We’re not open,” Patrick called over his shoulder, his eyes not leaving David’s.

“Oh, what a pity,” came the returning voice.

David froze and finally looked up.

Sebastien had found him. And why the fuck had David not stayed invisible?

“You made me come all the way out to some Podunk town in the middle of nowhere? Really, David?” Sebastien raised his eyebrows. “You don’t belong here. Come on.” He reached out his hand, but David shrunk back.

“Get out of my store.”

David had never heard Patrick sound like that. His words were firm and laced with a raw fury. He had turned to Sebastien, but he’d locked one of his hands in David’s.

“Aw, did you make a friend, David?” Sebastien said carefully, a cruel twist to his words as he stepped closer to them. “I hate to break this up, but I have plans tonight that include you."

“No you don’t, Sebastien,” Patrick spoke again, his body fully in front of David now, protective, guarding. “David doesn’t have to do anything with you.”

Sebastien rolled his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. If you knew David Rose at all, you’d be glad to get him off your hands. I know he’s pretty, but he’s not worth the trouble.” He sneered at David.

“I _do_ know David Rose,” Patrick replied fiercely. “And he’s worth everything.”

David felt Patrick’s words go through him, so sincere, so honest. It was too much. Everything about Patrick was too much.

“Patrick, don’t,” David said softly from behind his friend. “He’ll hurt you.”

“You should really listen to him, Patrick, is it?” Sebastien agreed with a grin. “I could make things difficult for you. Especially once this town finds out the truth about your new boyfriend.”

David managed to release himself from Patrick’s vice grip and move toward the door. “Leave Patrick out of this, Sebastien, please. Just let him be. We can figure something out, just don’t hurt Patrick.”

“David, no!” Patrick cried out, starting toward him. “Don’t go anywhere with him.”

“Finally, you’re talking sense, David,” Sebastien said, sneering. “Let’s get out of here.”

But David still had one option left. He disappeared.

Sebastian’s features settled into a snarl as he moved toward where David had been, but David opened the door quickly and then moved across the room, hoping that Sebastian might think he left or at least that he’d be confused.

Sebastien looked all around, his eyes growing angry.

David locked eyes with Patrick over tables of merchandise behind Sebastien’s back.

A small relieved smile appeared on Patrick’s face.

“I know you’re still here, David. You wouldn’t just abandon your boyfriend like this.” Sebastien rounded on Patrick. “Did he tell you about that trick?”

Patrick looked up at Sebastien calmly. “Actually, he did.”

Sebastien seemed taken aback at that. “I’m sure he didn’t tell you the things he did for me though.”

“He doesn’t need to,” Patrick replied evenly his eyes shifting over to meet David’s. “It won’t change how I feel about him.”

David’s breath caught in his throat. Sebastien didn’t matter. His reputation didn’t matter. All that mattered was Patrick, standing there, defending him, seeing him. Not abandoning him.

David walked slowly over to Patrick, Patrick’s eyes following him closely. David reached out for Patrick’s hand when he grew close, and Patrick caught it immediately, pulling David to him.

Sebastien stared at them both, confused, before David reappeared, Patrick’s arm around his back, their hands clasped together.

“How did you-”

“I can always see David,” Patrick said, his words firm, adamant. “No matter what.”

“But that’s… that’s not possible,” Sebastien said, his eyes wild.

As long as David had known him, Sebastien had always been in control of every situation. But here, in front of Patrick and David together, Sebastien was utterly at a loss.

“It is possible,” David spoke finally, the smallest of smiles appearing on his face. He had the upper hand, and he was going to keep it. “Patrick can see me. And I’m not leaving him. You can say whatever you want about me back in New York, Sebastien, but I’m staying in this town that’s welcomed me, at this store that I care about, with this man-” David stopped before he said too much. It had been a long couple days, and he wasn’t going to admit to himself that he loved Patrick for the first time in front of Sebastien. Patrick deserved better than that. _David_ deserved better than that.

“I’m staying with Patrick,” David said instead, “and you can’t hurt us, Sebastien. No matter what you do.”

“You’ll regret this, David Rose. You both will,” Sebastien growled, his eyes glinting. “I’m make sure you do.”

“Out of my store,” Patrick repeated his earlier request, his words a threat.

“Fine,” Sebastien conceded, finally backing away. “But this isn’t over.”

David rolled his eyes. “Fuck off, Sebastien.”

With one last glare, the bell rang, and David and Patrick were alone again.

David immediately threw his arms around Patrick’s neck, holding him in an impossibly tight hug, which Patrick returned just as hard.

He felt Patrick press a kiss to his neck, and David felt like he was going to float away. Sebastien was gone. Patrick wanted to be with him. Patrick would do anything to be with him. And David would do anything to be with Patrick.

Another bell broke them apart, but this time it was just an elderly woman who had apparently also ignored the Closed sign in the window.

“I’ll take care of it,” Patrick whispered as he removed his arms from David’s waist, a smile growing on Patrick’s lips.

David nodded, smiling himself, and headed to the back room to catch his breath.

Sebastien was gone. It was going to be okay. They were going to be okay.

Patrick returned five minutes later, clearly thinking hard about something, though he still flashed a smile at David that made his knees go weak. “The door’s locked so we’re definitely closed now, but I kind of feel like we should get out of here, just in case?”

David nodded his agreement. Just because Sebastien had left didn’t mean he wasn’t going to come back. He couldn’t do anything to them, but it wasn’t something David wanted to deal with a second time.

“My parents are still expecting us for dinner,” Patrick said tentatively. “We could cancel if you want, but it might be a good place to camp out for a few hours?”

David smiled immediately. “I think that’d be perfect. And I’m sure your mom could be persuaded to bring out some Patrick Brewer baby pictures.”

Patrick’s eyes were bright as he shook his head at David’s teasing. “Maybe I shouldn’t invite you to come at all.”

David stepped closed to him. “Sorry, the invitation was actually from your mom, so.”

Patrick laughed and looked like he was going to reach out for David, but he stopped himself.

David blinked at him, confused.

“I want to talk to you… before anything,” Patrick said slowly, deliberately. “And I know if we talk now, I’m never going to let us leave.”

David let out breath. “Oh.”

Patrick looked at him almost hungrily, but then he winked and exited back the doorway, leaving David to follow him.

It wasn’t the least bit fair, but David had no choice but to go after him.

Neither of them spoke on the walk to Patrick’s car, but their hands brushed against each other, and David tangled their fingers together, letting Patrick’s answering squeeze reassure him that this was right.

It wasn’t a long drive out of the center of town to the old houses by the creek and the woods. David’s hand stayed locked with Patrick’s the entire time.

They parked in the driveway of a bungalow with a large porch, a swing hanging inviting next to the door.

David started to get out of the car, but Patrick stopped him.

“David.” Patrick seemed contemplative. “You know how you said you used to be invisible and listen to what people said about you?”

David nodded hesitantly.

“Did you ever do that with me?” Patrick asked. “I mean I know it wouldn’t have worked, but did you ever try?”

David shook his head immediately. “No. I… well I never needed to. Everything about you was genuine. I… I trusted you. Before I even realized that I did.”

David’s words brought a wide smile to Patrick’s face.

“Good. That’s good.” Patrick paused. “But maybe you should try it. Just to see.”

David raised his eyebrows, but Patrick had released his hand and was getting out of the car, so all David could do was follow his lead.

Marcy and Clint were thrilled to have David there, and, as David had threatened Patrick, there were absolutely baby pictures. David loved Patrick’s parents, and they seemed to really like him too.

As David helped Marcy set the table for dinner, he heard Clint quietly ask Patrick if he had seen Rachel. David had almost forgotten about their brief interaction with Patrick’s ex-fiancée in light of everything that had come afterward, but Patrick had replied to his father easily that Rachel had told him about her new job and that the store was his to keep if he wanted it. Clint seemed pleased, and David couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

As Clint slipped back into the kitchen to finish up cooking, Marcy, Patrick, and David settled in the living room again. David excused himself to use the bathroom, but once he made it to the hallway, he decided to take Patrick’s suggestion from the car. He became invisible instead, appearing in the doorway, unseen by Patrick’s mother, but very visible to the man smiling up at David, that same awed look in his eyes that David loved so much.

Before Patrick could say anything, Marcy turned to her son. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

David inhaled sharply.

Patrick looked directly in David’s eyes as he replied. “Yeah. I am. And I’ve never been happier. In my life.”

David had to look away for a moment, trying to stop the tears that were welling up in his eyes. Patrick was in love with him. He’d said it. Just like that.

“Is he going to stay?” Marcy asked softly.

Patrick glanced up at David, the question in his eyes.

David couldn’t do anything but nod, a smile spreading across his face even as a tear slipped down his cheek. Patrick smiled back at him, blinking back tears of his own. “Yeah, I think he is.”

“Good.” Marcy pulled her son in for a hug, Patrick still staring at David over his mother’s shoulder.

David slipped away and reemerged a moment later, after he’d cleaned off his face, trying to be as calm as he could when he’d just heard the man he’d fallen entirely in love with admit that he was in love with him.

Patrick sat next to him at dinner if only so their hands could brush each other more often than was entirely necessary. The food was wonderful, and David was grateful to be included in this family meal, but all he could think about was Patrick. They still hadn’t talked. And there was so much to say. And to not say.

Patrick made excuses for both of them once they’d eaten the brownies that Marcy brought out for dessert, and after hugs from both of Patrick’s parents, the pair returned to the car, hands clasped between them again, Patrick’s thumb running over David’s wrist. Neither of them spoke, tension palpable between them.

The pair walked from the car to Patrick’s apartment in a similar fashion, David following Patrick into his apartment wordlessly, no invitation needed. The apartment was dark, and Patrick finally removed his hand from David’s to turn on lights.

Rachel was gone. Sebastien was gone. It was just David and Patrick. Alone. Safe. Together.

“So, earlier you said something about soulmates,” Patrick spoke finally, across the living room from David.

David nodded. “No one really knows if it’s real, but that’s what people say.”

“And if I want it to be real?” Patrick asked hesitantly.

A small smile appeared on David’s face, and he disappeared once again.

Patrick’s face lit up. “You’re invisible,” he said, a statement, not a question. He stepped toward David.

David nodded anyway. “I am.”

Patrick crossed the room fully, ending up directly in front of David. “I see you, David Rose,” he breathed. “I always see you.”

And before Patrick could do anything else, David had wrapped his arms around Patrick’s neck and pulled him in.

David had never kissed anyone while he was invisible before, so maybe that was why this was the best kiss of his entire life. Maybe that was why it felt like his entire body was on fire or why his mouth fit perfectly against Patrick’s as Patrick angled his mouth to kiss David more deeply.

Or maybe it was just Patrick.

Patrick’s perfect hands on his back, holding him close. Patrick’s perfect shoulders under David’s arms and his hair under David’s fingers at the back of Patrick’s neck. Patrick’s tongue in his mouth, Patrick moaning as David pulled him impossibly closer.

Yeah. David was pretty sure it was just Patrick.

The pair separated for a moment, only enough for Patrick to lean his forehead against David’s.

“I’m in love with you,” Patrick breathed out quickly. “I have been since I met you.”

David couldn’t help the smile and the laugh that broke past his lips as he looked up again, trying to stop the tears that he knew were coming to his eyes. When he managed to look back at Patrick, he saw that emotion in his eyes that David had come to know more and more over the past few weeks. It was concern and care and devotion and love. Love from his soulmate. His soulmate who could see him. No matter what.

“I’m… I’m in love with you too,” David finally managed. “I don’t know how not to be.”

Patrick’s face exploded with happiness as he reached a hand up to brush over David’s cheek.

“Good,” he said simply. “We never need to figure that out.”

And then his lips were on David’s again, and David knew he was home.

* * *

A few hours later found David and Patrick curled up together on the sofa, music playing softly from Patrick’s computer which was open to some spreadsheets for the store.

It was _their_ store now. They were planning for what they needed to do to make it official. Patrick had partially bought out Rachel, but David could do it entirely and be Patrick’s business partner (and everything partner).

“Is it weird for me to just come in and take over for Rachel?” David asked hesitantly. “I feel like I’m kind of stealing her life a little bit.”

Patrick laughed and pressed a quick kiss to David’s temple. “I can assure you that I was never this happy with Rachel. No offense to Rachel.”

David laughed at that and snuggled further into Patrick’s side.

“Honestly, David,” Patrick continued, more serious now, “I used to always think of Rachel when I went to the store, but over the last few weeks, I really haven’t anymore. I mean I’m sure there’s some things that will always remind me of her. But now everything down there reminds me of you. The man who I’m pretty sure I’ve been dating for the last three weeks without either of us really saying anything about it.”

David laughed and buried his head in Patrick’s shoulder. “We really have, haven’t we?”

“Mmhm,” Patrick hummed in response, kissing David’s forehead. “The store reminds me of every time you brought me lunch, or I got us dinner, or the negotiations with the farm stand and you consistently getting out of doing inventory. I just think about how I fell in love with you the first time you criticized the store color palette and started rearranging my soaps.”

David sat up suddenly at that, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Patrick stared at him curiously.

“There’s nothing you can do to stop me repainting the store now,” David said with an almost evil grin.

Patrick laughed and shook his head. “You win, David.”

And as Patrick kissed him deeply, David felt that Patrick was more right than he knew.

David’s phone rang, interrupting their moment.

David groaned as Patrick laughed.

He pulled out his phone and saw it was Alexis.

“Hello?”

“David, I’m here!”

“You’re what?”

“I’m here! In your cute little town! It’s the hotel on Main Street, right? That’s what your text said when you first got here.”

“You… you actually came here?”

Alexis sounded impatient. “Yes, David. I said I was coming, didn’t I?”

“It’s been a busy day, I sort of forgot.” David glanced over at Patrick who grinned wolfishly at him making him laugh.

“Oh my God, David. I had to get a flight and find a car and do a million things to get here, and you just forgot?”

David fought back another laugh. “Sorry, Alexis. Sebastien’s gone anyway.”

“Oh, thank God! How did you manage that?”

David looked over at his new boyfriend softly. “Patrick scared him away.”

“Patrick! Aw David!”

“Yeah, I know.” David knew his smile at Patrick had to be the sappiest thing in the world, and he was glad that Alexis couldn’t see him. “Sebastien’s probably going to get some exposé published about me, but he can’t hurt me anymore, not really.”

“Well actually.” Alexis paused. “He can’t publish anything anymore. At least anything that anyone will pay attention to. I called in a few favors, and let’s just say Sebastien Raine is no longer welcome to publish anything anywhere even slightly exclusive, including all the best tabloids.”

“Are you serious?”

“I mean there’s always the chance he could get some super sketchy site to run something,” Alexis conceded, “but he’ll look super desperate if he does that, so I don’t know if he’ll go that route.”

“Alexis, why didn’t you do that earlier? It would have saved me so much trouble.”

“Um, a thank you would be nice, David?” Alexis complained. “I’m sorry, but I was super busy, and I only just got to it now. And I don’t feel guilty because you got your cute little Patrick out of it.”

Any annoyance David had at his sister melted away at the mention of Patrick. She was right. He never would have met Patrick, his soulmate, if he hadn’t run away to Oak Valley.

Patrick held David a little tighter at Alexis’s words.

“Okay, but seriously David. Can you just come down here?” Alexis complained. “It’s ridiculous that we’re having this conversation on the phone when you could just come down from your hotel room.”

“Um, I’m not in my hotel room, actually.”

“Oh my God, are you with Patrick?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Patrick kissed his shoulder as though to punctuate David’s admission.

David felt a bit like he was floating on air again.

“Okay, well where am I supposed to go then?”

David sighed and turned to Patrick. “Do you want to meet my sister?”

Patrick grinned and kissed his cheek lightly. “Of course I do.”

David smile automatically as he turned back to his phone. “Just a minute, Alexis.”

He hung up the phone, and he and Patrick exited the apartment to go find Alexis.

And that was how Patrick ended up meeting Alexis at 11PM on a Tuesday. Alexis was absolutely insufferable about Patrick, but David didn’t mind as much as he usually would have because he was in love with Patrick and Patrick was in love with him. Alexis could tease all she wanted, but David had never been happier in his entire life.

Alexis insisted on seeing the store just for a minute even though David told her she could just see it in the morning like a normal person, but her excitement at everything David and Patrick had done together prevented David from getting too annoyed with her.

David offered Alexis the key card to his hotel room, completely unwilling to separate from Patrick now that they were finally together, and Alexis took it happily with a wink that wasn’t the least bit subtle.

Alexis actually gave him a hug before David and Patrick left to go back to his apartment, which David hadn’t been expecting. She’d actually been worried about him. The thought was an unfamiliar one, but one that he liked.

“You’re gonna stay here, aren’t you?” Alexis said softly to David as Patrick waited for him across the hotel lobby.

David nodded. “Yeah. I am. I really like it here, Alexis. I have a lot of ideas for the store. And… I have Patrick.”

Alexis looked at him for a moment, her eyes momentarily glancing over to Patrick before coming back to David. “He sees you, David. For all that you are.”

David had to fight back a laugh. “Yeah, he really does.”

David would have to tell Alexis how right she was some other time.


End file.
